Tourists Evacuated after Fatal Costa Rica Earthquake

Rescue helicopters ferried stranded tourists on Friday from a picturesque volcanic area in Costa Rica where a strong earthquake killed at least 13 people.

Ten victims were buried when Thursday’s 6.1-magnitude quake triggered a landslide near the La Paz waterfall at Vara Blanca, on the flanks of the Poas Volcano, Red Cross spokesman Luis Guzman said.

It was not clear if the dead included foreign visitors but the US Embassy in San Jose said some 40-60 American tourists in the area, northwest of the capital San Jose, were unharmed.

The quake set off landslides that devastated the Poas Volcano national park and tore apart a road. Some 300 trapped tourists and about 100 Costa Ricans spent a chilly night in the valley.

Nine rescue helicopters began ferrying them back to San Jose on Friday as aftershocks rumbled in the region.

Costa Rica is a popular tourist destination due to its lush natural parks, volcanoes and rich wildlife, but is prone like the rest of Central America to natural disasters.