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

Adam Williams July 5, 2011

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.

Violent deaths attended to by the Costa Rican Red Cross
January to June 2011
Incident	Jan.	Feb.	March	Apr.	May	June	Total	%
Acts of aggression	25	20	15	14	19	20	113	21
Vehicle crashes	14	9	10	11	10	17	71	13
Run over	11	13	6	11	12	8	61	11
Accidental drowning	8	16	4	17	8	10	63	12
Traumatic emergencies	11	10	15	18	13	13	80	15
Rollovers	5	6	6	5	11	7	40	8
Falls	2	2	4	3	4	6	21	4
Electrocution/burns	1	1	0	3	1	3	9	2
Intoxication	2	1	3	3	2	1	12	2
Aerial accidents	0	0	0	0	0	2	2	0
Other/unknown	9	12	10	11	15	3	60	11
TOTAL	88	90	73	96	95	90	532	100