Archive for October 23rd, 2009
Friday, October 23rd, 2009
A traditional hammock-style wood-and-cable bridge has collapsed as a bus crossed it in rural Costa Rica, dropping a bus filled with 38 people into a riverbed. Five people are reported dead. The wooden plank bridge deck was about 10 meters above the river. The vehicle ended up on its wheels in the middle of the river with water up to a point slightly below the passenger windows.
The bridge, known as the Puente Angosto de Turrabares, has been described as “seriously fatigued” and a weight restriction, which the bus exceeded, was in place.
Transport Minister Karla González said the bus driver ignored the weight restriction sign and crossed the bridge on his route to Orotina from Turrubares.
When the bus was halfway across the 50-metre, one-lane bridge, one of the steel cables supporting it collapsed, sending the bus into the Río Tárcoles. González admitted that a 75-metre iron reinforcement had been bought for the bridge in 2002, but engineers had not got around to attaching it. “The bridge was seriously fatigued, but it collapsed due to too much weight,” she said.
“We all have to accept responsibility for this tragedy and for the fact that the bridge was neglected, but at the same time, we did put up signs to warn drivers not to cross carrying more than four tonnes in weight and we cannot be expected to put a policeman on the bridge to ensure drivers obey the signs.”
Red Cross spokesman Mario Víquez said that four people died at the scene, a fifth person died en route to hospital, and the sixth died at a hospital in Orotina. Two other people were seriously inured.
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Friday, October 23rd, 2009
Zelaya rejects new offer from Honduras coup gov’t
Ousted President Manuel Zelaya on Thursday rejected a new settlement proposal from Honduras’ interim government and said the only way to resolve the country’s political standoff is to reinstate him.
Zelaya being returned to power “is our last proposal,” said Victor Meza, one of Zelaya’s negotiators, who added that his delegation had set a midnight deadline to get an answer.
“If we don’t get it, we will consider the dialogue has ended,” he said.
Micheletti’s delegation answered that they would have an answer by Friday morning, further angering Zelaya’s side.
“When we say today, they say tomorrow. When we say tomorrow, they say the day after tomorrow. It’s a game of delay,” Meza said.
The latest plan proposed by representatives of interim President Roberto Micheletti would permit the two factions to consult whichever branch of government they wished to decide if Zelaya should be restored to office. The coup-installed government didn’t explain how they might resolve the dispute.
Negotiations hit an impasse last week after the delegations failed to agree on who should decide whether Zelaya can resume his post and serve out his term, which ends in January.
Micheletti wants the decision to be made by the Supreme Court, the body that initially ordered Zelaya’s arrest before his ouster June 28 over his attempt to hold a referendum on changing the constitution. The court, which had ruled the referendum illegal, has said Zelaya should not be allowed to return to office.
Zelaya says Congress should make the decision, even though he currently enjoys the support of only about a fifth of the legislators.
The interim government previously has said the crisis would best be resolved by the presidential election scheduled for Nov. 29.
Several international governments, including the United States, have indicated they would not accept the results of a ballot held by the interim government.
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Friday, October 23rd, 2009
Some 150 followers of ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya blocked on Thursday morning a street in the north of Tegucigalpa, to protests against the obstructions of the negotiations aimed to restore Zelaya in charge.
“Zelaya’s supporters went to Norte Boulevard, without producing disturbs and under police vigilance,” Police sheriff Miguel Perez told the press.
“The police set a security operative for the followers of the former president (Zelaya) could protest without generating chaos,” Perez, in charge of the police operative said.
“There is not any kind of restriction; the police only is establishing a security operative, for them (the protestors) and for the people transiting this zone,” Perez said.
The protest was carried after the negotiations, between Zelaya’s delegation and the de facto government, to restitute Zelaya in power were suspended on Monday.
On Wednesday, Honduran police announced restrictions on protests in an effort to quell rallies in favor of Zelaya. They said that protests must be authorized by the government 24 hours in advance.
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Friday, October 23rd, 2009
An earthquake measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale shook the border area between Panama and Costa Rica late Wednesday without causing serious damage, Panamanian authorities confirmed.
The epicentre of the quake was in Panama’s southern Pacific coast, 10 kilometres below the ground.
Many people poured onto the streets in panic, but no one was reported hurt.
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Friday, October 23rd, 2009
The bandstand in Parque Morazán will be getting a rosy glow tonight as a reminder to women to conduct self-examinations for breast cancer.
The structure, formally known as the Templo de la Musica, will be bathed in pink lights, as part of the current Campaña de Prevención contra el Cáncer de Mama: Aprendo por mi Vida.
The display is a joint project of the Municipalidad de San José, the AVON company and the Compañía Nacional de Fuerza y Luz.
Story By A.M. Costa Rica
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