Watch FIFA World Cup 2026™

LIVE, FREE and EXCLUSIVE starting June 12 2026

9 killed by Hurricane Otto in Costa Rica

Hurricane Otto has been downgraded to a tropical storm, but not before it killed nine people in Costa Rica.

At least nine people have been killed in Costa Rica in the wake of Hurricane Otto, the government said on Friday.

Five were killed in Upala in the north of the country. Four others died in the nearby town of Bagaces.

President Luis Guillermo Solis has called for three days of national mourning from Monday.

The damage from the storm was heaviest in northern Costa Rica, Solis confirmed on Twitter.

According to the Red Cross, at least 25 people are still missing.

News that makes sense

Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Otto, which began as an Atlantic storm, was centred over the open Pacific, after hammering the Central American country on Thursday.

Downgraded to a tropical storm, Otto was about 420 kilometres south of San Salvador on Friday.

It was moving westward at a speed of 26 kilometres per hour, with maximum sustained winds reaching 95 kilometres per hour.

Otto was forecast to continue moving west-north-west with no expected return to land, the Miami-based US National Hurricane Centre said on Friday.

Video from the storm-hit region showed flooding, mud-covered houses and roofs torn off buildings.

Nearly 1,200 houses were reported damaged. A bridge, two dams and dozens of roads were destroyed or damaged.


2 min read

Published

Source: AAP



Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News straight to your inbox

Sign up now for daily news from Australia and around the world. You can also subscribe to Insight's weekly newsletter for in-depth features and first-person stories.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS News

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service

Stream now

Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world