Most of the victims of the country’s worst quake in 150 years died as a result of mudslides unleashed by the 6.1 magnitude shaking.
The slides buried cars and crushed homes with little or no warning.
The country’s emergency management office said that more than 246 landslides triggered during the shaking also damaged nine bridges and 25 stretches of highways, as well as electrical systems and aqueducts near the epicenter.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake was centered only 22 miles (35 km) north-northwest of the capital of San Jose, near the Poas Volcano national park at 1:21 p.m. local time.
Despite striking near the heart of the country, the quake itself did not cause significant damage. But it did spark brief moments of panic as residents dodged falling objects and saw buildings crack and windows shatter.
Preliminary estimates point to at least $100 million in damage from the landslides and violent shaking.