A public health emergency was declared in Costa Rica this weekend
after a barge carrying ammonium nitrate sank off the country’s Pacific
coast.
Costa Rica’s National Emergency Commission issued a ‘Red Alert’ for
approximately 100 miles of coastline after the barge carrying 180 tons
of ammonium nitrate sank in rough seas off the coast of Puntarenas on
Saturday at approximately 2:30 p.m. Two crewmembers were rescued safely.
The initial alert was considered a precautionary measure to
warn people of possible health hazards from swimming and fishing in the
area.
As of Monday morning, the alert was downgraded to ‘Yellow’ after
tests showed minimal risk to human health, but a ban on fishing remains
in place. The alert will stay in effect until Wednesday as additional
testing is carried out.
Authorities are now looking into salvaging the sunken vessel.
Ammonium nitrate is a chemical compound generally used as a
fertilizer or as an additive in explosives. It is said to be very
soluble in water