According to the CNE and the security Ministry, the panic caused by a fire, an earthquake or an explosion could turn the Zapote Fair into a mortal trap where thousands of people would die.

The warning stems from an investigation done in March by members of the commission, firefighters and police. The study analyzes exit and entrance routes in the area. Daniel Gallardo, director of the CNE, said yesterday that, in case of an emergency, ” the fair exit routes would be congested in 7 points, 4 of them near the festivities. For that reason, an evacuation is almost impossible, and the rescue units would take too time to arrive to the area and transfer the victims.”
These warnings were presented to the San José city council, however it voted in favor of holding the festival on Tuesday. The National Commission of Festivals assured the press that it knows the risks and that “starting today we have begun to work in all of these aspects. We are going to collaborate with all the organizations to present an evacuation plan”, said yesterday Alexander Zamora, president of the commission.