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At least 9 dead in Costa Rica after storm Otto dumps massive rainfall

26 November 2016 19:28 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. At least nine people in Costa Rica are dead and thousands remain evacuated as a weakened Tropical Storm Otto moves into the Pacific Ocean, APA reports quoting AFP.

President Luis Guillermo Solis declared three days of national mourning beginning Monday. Otto was the first hurricane to hit Costa Rica in recorded time. Six people remain missing. At least four people died in Nicaragua and some five others remain missing.

The storm made landfall on Thursday as a Category 2 with maximum sustained winds of 110 mph. It moved across southeastern Nicaragua before crossing into Costa Rica.

Officials said the storm dumped a month's worth of rain in a few hours across Costa Rica, causing about $8 million in damages to roads.

S. Fitzgerald Haney, U.S. Ambassador to Costa Rica, said the United States will be sending three helicopters to assist in the emergency operations.

As of early Saturday, the storm had weakened to 45 mph. More weakening is expected in the next two days.