San Jose  - Rescue teams had found the bodies of 18 people killed in last week's earthquake in Costa Rica by Monday, while over 100 others who suffered injuries have been rescued.

The quake measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale left a further 47 people missing, the Red Cross said Monday.

More than 1,300 people had to be taken to emergency accommodations in the area affected by the quake, 60 kilometres northwest of Costa Rican capital San Jose.

The authorities feared that more people might be found dead under the rubble of their homes and under the debris of landslides as a result of the quake.

Rescue teams using hound dogs were particularly active in the areas around Vara Blanca and Cichona. Eyewitnesses spoke of "many" dead when they appeared on Costa Rican television. (dpa)