Fading Golden Time... Casualties Rise Rapidly

[Anchor]

Desperate rescue operations are underway in Colombia in the wake of a powerful earthquake. While survivors are being miraculously pulled from collapsed buildings, ongoing aftershocks are slowing down rescue efforts, and the death and missing tolls are rising rapidly.

Reporter Yu Deok-gi has the details.

[Reporter]

Rescue workers comfort a woman trapped beneath concrete debris at a collapsed building site.

[Colombian Rescue Worker : Please hold on a little longer. We are all working together.]

After a grueling struggle lasting over 10 hours, the woman in her 30s was safely rescued 36 hours after the earthquake struck.

Another woman in her 30s, who managed to survive trapped beneath a collapsed building by drinking water handed to her by rescuers, was also rescued 16 hours after being found.

On the third day since the earthquake, desperate rescue operations to save even one more life continue across quake-hit regions in Colombia, including Cali, Pereira, and Manizales.

Acoustic equipment is being deployed to detect signs of life, and residents have formed human chains to clear away building debris.

[Colombian Rescue Worker : There is still a great opportunity for us. There may be pockets (at the disaster site) where those buried can survive for a certain period, or even much longer.]

Companion animals such as kittens and puppies are also being rescued from time to time, but despite desperate efforts to save lives, the death toll is rising rapidly.

While local Colombian authorities report that 250 people have died and nearly 2,600 have been injured so far, the number of missing persons registered on private websites has exceeded 4,000.

[Family Member of Missing Person : I hope my brother is (in the collapsed building) and that we can find him. But we can't hear any more sounds. The (chances of survival) are slim.]

More than 70 aftershocks are making rescue operations even slower.

To prevent looting and assist relief efforts, the Colombian government has imposed a nighttime curfew in the affected areas and banned the operation of general vehicles, permitting only emergency medical personnel and police.

As the international community steps in to dispatch rescue teams and provide supplies, the South Korean government has also decided to provide 1 million dollars, equivalent to approximately 1.4 billion won, through international relief organizations.

(Video by Chae Chul-ho | Graphics by Choi Jae-young)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.