Costa Rica: No major damage following Nov. 12 earthquake

Event

An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.5 on the Richter scale struck Costa Rica at 20:28 (local time) on Sunday, November 12. The epicenter was located on the Pacific coast near the town of Jacó, 69 km (43 mi) southwest of the capital San José, where some shaking was felt. There was no threat of tsunami due to the tremors. Costa Rican authorities have announced that three people died of heart attacks attributed to the earthquake: two in Jacó and one in Coronado.

According to preliminary reports, no major infrastructural damage has been detected as of yet, although some power lines have been downed resulting in outages, including in Quepos. Some supermarkets and at least one apartment building in Jacó have also reportedly suffered some damage and a few minor landslides have blocked roads in the Jacó area.

Dozens of aftershocks have already been reported, felt throughout the country, and further aftershocks are to be anticipated in the coming days and weeks.

Advice

Individuals in Costa Rica are advised to avoid nonessential travel to the Jacó area in the coming hours, adhere to any instructions issued by local authorities, and be prepared for aftershocks.

In the event of an earthquake, take shelter under a table or crouched in a corner (away from exterior walls) if indoors and protect your head with your arms. If outdoors, move away from buildings and other tall structures; if driving, pull over as soon as it is safe to do so, away from tall structures. If caught under debris following an earthquake, keep all movements to a minimum and cover your mouth to avoid inhaling dust; tap on wall or pipe or whistle to attract the attention of emergency services.

After a major earthquake, check buildings for damage, including downed power lines or damaged gas lines, and evacuate until the building is declared safe. Only use your telephone in case of urgency so as to leave communication lines open for emergency services.