Two survive air crash
on slope of Irazú volcano


A man identified as a Canadian was one of two persons who survived the crash of a light plane Tuesday in Cot de Cartago on the slope of the Irazú volcano.

The single-engine plane appears to have avoided high tension lines and a tree before it ended up in a farmer's field in Finca El Plantón.

The crash happened shortly before 10:30 a.m., said Daisy Ramírez of the Fuerza Pública in Oreamuno.

The Cruz Roja said that its rescue workers needed about 20 minutes to free the two men from the battered plane. The victims were airlifted from a local sports stadium to Hospital México.

The pilot was identified as Juan Carlos Murillo Rodríguez, 28. Rescuers said that he was about to go to work for an international airline company. He was wearing the epaulets of an aircraft captain when the crash happened.

The man identified as a Canadian was sitting in the right hand seat of the plane. He may have been a tourist.

The Cruz Roja said the man suffered injuries to the back, trauma to the face and injuries to the extremities. The men were conscious during the ordeal of getting them from the wreckage. Rescuers had to use hydraulic devices.

The plane, a four-seat Piper Cherokee, had left Tobias Bolaños airport in Pavas and was headed for Cartago. Aviación Civil will investigate the crash. Rescuers speculated that the craft was caught in a downdraft and that the pilot could not recover in time.

The plane is believed to be owned by a flying school in Pavas, but it was unclear if one of the men was a student. Murillo was in the left-hand seat of the craft but he was said to have all his certifications.

Blood type, wishes on organs
now sought for driver's license


Those who seek a medical exam to obtain a driver's license are finding that a new form put out by the Colegio de Médicos y Cirujanos asks for blood type and whether the applicant wishes to donate organs upon death.

The Departamento de Licencias del Ministerio of the Obras Públicas y Transportes sought the changes, the ministry said.

However, the physicians conducting the exam will take the word of the applicant regarding blood type, it appears. The ministry said that anyone who did not know his or her blood type should go to a laboratory before seeking the medical exam, which is cursory.

The blood type and desires on donating organs will appear on the final license, said the ministry, adding that this will help rescue personnel and save time if the license holder dies under conditions where organs can be harvested.

Dispute over paternity
must start within a year


Men now only have a year to contest the paternity of children attributed to them. The Sala IV constitutional court has thrown out a section of the law that said the paternity of a child born outside marriage could be contested until the youngsters became of age.

That section was in conflict with another section of the Código de Familia which governs children born within a marriage. The court found that the longer time period is discriminatory to children born outside a marriage.

The practical effect of the ruling is that men now have a year from the time they become aware of a child's existence to contest paternity. And this applies to children born within and outside marriage.

Heredia mall hit by blaze


An early afternoon fire broke out in an Heredia mall Tuesday and sent shoppers running for the exits. The blaze eventually worked its way through the roof where heavy smoke and flames could be seen from the parking lot.

The blaze started in a clothing storage room and involved three stores. No injuries were reported. Firemen used a snorkel to pour water on the blaze from above.

The mall was the El Paseo de Las Flores,