1.
LV VOLCANO.
0.03

2.
MCU VOLCANO.
0.12

3.
CU VOLCANO.
0.20

4.
PAN...VOLCANO WITH DUST.
0.32

5.
GV (THREE SCENES)BURIED HOUSES INJANA GRANDE.
0.40

6.
MV DUST BLOWING BY A TRUCK IN SAN JOSE.
0.49

7.
MCU WOMAN BRUSHING HAIR IN SAN JOSE.
0.52

8.
MCU MAN HOLDING HANDKERCHIEF TO FACE.
0.56

9.
MCU WOMAN PUSHES HAIR BACK.
1.00

10.
MV THREE PEOPLE WALKING.
1.02

11.
MCU WOMAN HOLDING HANDKERCHIEF.
1.05

12.
MV SWEEPER.
1.08

13.
CU SWEEPER.
1.13

14.
MV MEN SWEEPING STREET.
1.18

15.
CU MAN SWEEPING.
1.21

16.
MV MAN SHOVELLING ASH INTO WHEELBARROW.
1.26

17.
MV MAN CLEANING CAR.
1.29

18.
CU FEET WALKING THROUGH ASHES.
1.34

19.
MV GRAVEYARD IN JANA GRANDE.
1.36

20.
MCU TOMBSTONE COVERED WITH ASHES IN JANA GRANDE.
1.40

21.
MV PAN...UP FROM GRAVE TO SMOKE IN JANA GRANDE.
1.45



Initials DR/V/MGT/PC



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: A VOLCANO CALLED IRAZU - THE MOUTH OF THE TIGER, IN INDIAN DIALECT - HAS BECOME A DOMINATING FACTOR IN COSTA RICAN LIFE SINCE IT BEGAN ERUPTING LAST MARCH AFTER BEING DORMANT FOR MANY YEARS.

THE VOLCANO SPEWS OUT NO LAVA ... JUST ROCKS AND ASHES. A TERRIFYING RUMBLE CONES FROM THE DEPTHS OF THE EARTH. THE ASHES RISE AS HIGH AS 40,000 FEET AND THE PREVAILING WEST WIND CARRIES MILLIONS OF DUST PARTICLES TO COMMUNITIES NEARBY. IT IS THIS DUST -WHICH SOMETIMES BLOTS OUT THE SUN AT MID-DAY - THAT IS THE CURSE OF IRAZU.

THE FARMING VILLAGE OF JANA GRANDE, FOR EXAMPLE, IS IN WHAT THE COSTA RICANS CALL "LA ZONE DE MUERTE" - THE ZONE OF DEATH. MORE THAN ONE-THOUSAND PEOPLE HAVE MOVED AWAY. ASHES FALL ON ABANDONED BUILDINGS. THEY CHOKE THE VEGETATION. THIRTY PEOPLE ARE LEFT IN JANA GRANDE.

IN THE PATH OF THE ASHES, COFFEE PRODUCTION IS DOWN...MANY CATTLE HAVE BEEN MOVED TO NEW PASTURES. AND THE PREVAILING WIND BLOWS THE ASHES INTO THE CAPITAL CITY, SAN JOSE.

SAN JOSE ONCE HAD THE REPUTATION OF BEING THE CLEANEST CITY IN CENTRAL AMERICA. BUT NOW FINE PUMICE ASH DESCENDS LIKE A BLACK SNOW THAT NEVER MELTS. IT PILES UP EVERYWHERE. IT BLOWS EVERYWHERE. THE CITY MUST BE SWEPT EVERY DAY. ON SOME DAYS, TWO POUNDS OF ASH FALL ON EVERY SQUARE YARD OF SAN JOSE.

SAN JOSE'S MERCHANTS RAISED 36,000 DOLLARS TO BUY THREE AMERICAN BUILT STREET SWEEPERS. SO FAR, 55-THOUSANDS TONS OF ASH HAVE BEEN COLLECTED-IN SAN JOSE. IRAZO CONTINUES TO FOUR FORTY ITS TONS OF ROCK AND ASHES. AS THE WIND CONTINUES TO SWEEP THE DEBRIS TO THE WEST, PART OF THE FUTURE OF COSTA RICA, DEPENDS ON THE FUTURE ACTION OF IRAZU-THE MOUTH OF THE TIGER.