In the early hours of Wednesday at 3:40 a.m., a terrible accident occurred in the Costa Rica border area between Los Chiles, Alajuela, and Nicaragua. A pick-up truck carrying nine Venezuelan migrants plunged into the Medio Queso River, resulting in one fatality, six individuals in urgent condition, and two others reported missing.
According to the preliminary report from the Red Cross, the incident occurred when the vehicle was traversing a bridge. For reasons yet unknown, the driver lost control, leading to the fall into the river. Several individuals were traveling in the trunk of the pick-up at the time of the accident.
The tragic event sheds light on the perils faced by migrants who resort to illegal means of transportation to avoid authorities. As highlighted by José Olivas, a Transit officer interviewed by Telenoticias, this region witnesses a significant number of people utilizing such means, to transport migrants. Often, people drive recklessly to avoid police which is the main cause of accidents.
In this case, it is speculated that the lack of railings on the bridge and high-speed might have contributed to the accident.
The Costa Rican driver was promptly detained by local authorities. The Border Police director, Adrián Salazar, confirmed the driver’s detention and submission to the Public Prosecutor’s Office for further investigation.
Search and rescue teams, including Red Cross divers, undertook a grueling mission to locate victims and assess the extent of the tragedy.
The body of the deceased woman was discovered downstream, approximately 300 meters away from the site. It was initially feared that three people were trapped inside the vehicle, but upon inspection, no victims were found.
As explained by one of the members of the rescue team, the challenging conditions of the river, with poor visibility due to its dark color, posed significant obstacles to the rescue operation.
This devastating incident serves as a reminder of the danger’s migrants have to go through daily to search for a better life. Often, they must risk their lives and the lives of their families to reach their destinations.
Authorities will conduct the appropriate investigations and determine the real cause of the accident.
