Costa Rica asks for international aid after earthquake

Costa Rica asks for international aid after earthquakeSan Jose, Costa Rica - The Costa Rican government is seeking international aid in the wake of last week's devastating earthquake, news reports said Tuesday.

According to Costa Rican authorities, the death toll in the 6.2-magnitude quake has risen to 20 and damage has been estimated at around 100 million dollars.

Eight bridges, 7 power lines, 61 villages and 26 roads were badly damaged in the earthquake, officials said.

Aftershocks with strengths of up to 4.3 on the Richter scale kept hitting the Central American state on Tuesday. Two of the devastated villages reported smaller quakes every 20 minutes.

Dozens of people were injured in the earthquake which had its epicentre close to Poas volcano near the capital San Jose. The continuing aftershocks were hampering rescue efforts, authorities said. (dpa)

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