A strong 6.1-magnitude earthquake has struck Costa Rica, killing two children and damaging buildings in the capital.
The quake triggered landslides in rural areas and damaged a highway near the Poas national volcano park.
Two young girls selling sweets at the volcano were buried in a landslide and died, said a spokesman for the Red Cross.
Several other people were reported to have been hurt in a village northwest of the capital San Jose.
The quake's epicentre was 32kms from San Jose at a depth of 35kms and caused shaking for 40 seconds, the US Geological Survey said.
Local television showed buildings with shattered windows and damaged walls, but emergency services officials had no reports of widespread injuries.
Pieces of ceiling fell off homes in San Jose and a group of tourists were reported to be stranded on a damaged road.
The tremor cut off power to parts of San Jose and some businesses evacuated employees. Images from a TV studio showed ceiling lights swaying.
