by Rod Hughes

Some 52 persons died during Easter Week in accidents, nearly half (25) of that number in traffic accidents. The number was the highest in 10 years, according to the daily La Nacion.

Holy Week (Semana Santa) is, aside from Christmas, the most popular holiday of the year and consists (for all but the service industry, law enforcement and emergency workers) of a four-day weekend, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The traffic toll is not surprising as thousands drive to Pacific and Caribbean beaches in a stream of vehicles that choke the mostly two-lane highways.

Nine of the deaths were drownings. The Red Cross was quoted in the daily newspaper Al Dia that higher than average ocean waves may have contributed to the toll. But some of the deaths were due to swimmers being caught in river flash-floods that surprised them because this is technically still the dry season. Often, especially on the Atlantic slope, one can be swimming in a river without a drop of rain falling only to be caught in a wave of water rushing down from rains in the mountains.

Some rain did fall during Easter Week, especially in the eastern mountain slopes. But in lower areas, the precipitation was confined to showers.