532 violent deaths in Costa Rica during first six months of year

According to figures provided by the Costa Rican Red Cross, 532 people died from violent deaths in Costa Rica in 2011, including 113 murders. The number of violent deaths this year is the second most recorded throughout the first six months of the year since 2008, which ended with 1,090 casualties, the most in national history.

The Red Cross tallies “violent deaths” as causalities that occur due to car accidents, aquatic accidents, falls, electrocution, murder, intoxication or any death not considered a result of natural causes. According to the six month figures, murder (listed as  as “acts of aggression” in the report) and car accidents resulted in the most causalities in 2011. The highest number of violent deaths occurred in the San José, Alajuela and Puntarenas provinces.  

There were 37 more violent deaths reported during the first six months of 2011 than during the same time period last year.

More than 90 violent deaths were reported in each of the last three months, the highest combined total for the months of April, May and June during the last 11 years.