No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeNewsCosta RicaTrains collide in San José, leaving more than 100 injured

Trains collide in San José, leaving more than 100 injured

Two trains collided early Friday morning in Pavas, in the western part of the capital, leaving five people on board in critical condition and 101 more requiring medical attention.

Guillermo Santana, the president of the Costa Rican Railroad Institute (INCOFER), told reporters at the scene of the accident that “human error” was the cause of the collision.

“Everything here indicates the accident was caused by human error and that’s how we’re going to investigate it,” Santana said. “A cut out in radio communication could be one of the causes.”

The Red Cross reported that 245 people total were examined for injuries on site.

Paulo Monge, a Red Cross member in the Greater Metropolitan Area, said the passengers found to be in critical condition were quickly attended to by Red Cross staffers, 70 of whom arrived on the scene.

“The five patients in critical condition were taken to a hospital within 20 minutes of the accident,” he said. The Red Cross worked alongside firefighters, National and Traffic Police, and medics while sorting out the damage done at the accident.

The railway accident occurred just west of Sabana Park, near the intersection of Highway 27 and the Circunvalación belt that runs around the city.

Train accidents in Costa Rica’s Central Valley have featured prominently in the local news lately, mainly due to cars attempting to drive across the railway tracks and getting hit by oncoming trains.

“It’s truly an unfortunate accident,” President Luis Guillermo Solís told a group of reporters during an event in Limón on Friday. “I talked to Mr. Santana, who will be investigating the case with his engineers. As with any disaster with many injuries, there’s not much information available over what really happened. So besides it being an unusual accident between two trains, we need more explanations.”

Trending Now

EU and Central America Launch First Meeting to Expand Trade Relations

The European Union and Central American nations came together for their first Association Council meeting in Brussels. They focused on growing trade and investment...

Costa Rica Dismantles Human Trafficking Ring Linked to Tren de Aragua

Costa Rican authorities dismantled a human trafficking network linked to the criminal gang Tren de Aragua, which financed the travel of women from Venezuela...

Honduran teen deported by US feels like foreigner in native country

Emerson Colindres had just finished high school when he was sent back to Honduras by the United States, a country that he had called...

Panama’s President Pushes for Chiquita’s Return After Massive Layoffs

Panama’s President José Raúl Mulino pledged on Wednesday to do everything possible to convince U.S. banana giant Chiquita Brands to resume operations in the...

Costa Rica’s Religious Culture Through the Eyes of a Non-Religious Expat

Costa Rica is the only country in the Americas that has an official religion—Catholicism—enshrined in its constitution. While the Constitution recognizes freedom of worship,...

Costa Rica Identified as Transit Point in Sinaloa Cartel Drug Network

Ovidio Guzman, the son of drug trafficker "El Chapo," admitted to U.S. justice that Costa Rica was used by the Sinaloa Cartel as a...
spot_img
Costa Rica Tours
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica