Death from Above and Below

At three separate spots on both sides of the Pacific Ocean last week, natural disasters dealt death and destruction. A long-dormant Central American volcano unexpectedly blew up, and severe earthquakes produced panic in a pair of crowded capitals:

> In Costa Rica, Mount Arenal had been quiet for nearly five centuries, its graceful cone plugged solidly with ages-old magma. Without warning one afternoon, Arenal blew a huge hole in its flank. Vaporized magma shot out at 1,472DEG F. and incandescent gas soared thousands of feet into the sky. Red-hot volcanic ash spread for miles across rich cattle-raising land, piling three feet deep in places. At least 78 people died, and further disaster struck searchers for the 100 or more still missing when a sudden sheet of flame engulfed a carload of rescuers, incinerating all ten occupants. Nearby Nicaragua, Salvador and Mexico offered aid, and U.S. C-130 transports mounted a shuttle service of relief supplies for 5,000 evacuees from the devastated area. Helicopters were offered for rescue work but could not get close enough to the fire-belching mountain because the clouds of ash were too thick and hot.

The effect on Costa Rica's cattle industry was catastrophic. While only 800 head of cattle died in the eruption, another 80,000 were ordered slaughtered for immediate sale and a further 100,000 had to be moved to new pasture lands. Experts estimated that if there were further intense eruptions, it might take 20 years and $50 million to restore cattle raising to its pre-eruption level. At week's end, Arenal was rumbling ominously again and a team of volcanologists went to the scene from Washington, hopeful of determining the reason for the eruption and devising methods to prevent further blowoffs.

> In the Philippines, church bells clanged in suddenly tilted steeples as a 1-min. quake rolled across the island of Luzon in predawn darkness, catching most Filipinos in their beds. Cracks appeared in the fac,ades of luxury hotels in Manila, and glass panes were wrenched out of the airport control tower by the shock. A five-story apartment building in Manila's Chinese quarter collapsed, trapping 600 people under tons of rubble. At least 111 were known dead in the Philippines' worst earthquake in over a decade.

> In Mexico, a violent quake struck at the height of Mexico City's morning rush hour, raining glass from office windows into the streets, rupturing gas and water lines, stalling streetcars, and causing damage in the millions of dollars. At least three people died in the quake, and workers building the city's new subway system deep underground fled for their lives. Though many skyscrapers were badly damaged, the athletics stadium complex for the forthcoming Olympic Games came through unscathed. It was the most severe shock in Mexico City since 1957, when over 30 people were killed.

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