Desperate Rescue Efforts Underway as Golden Time Nears End; National Mourning Declared

[Anchor]

Reports indicate that the number of missing persons has reached the thousands in Colombia following a powerful earthquake. As rescue workers make all-out efforts to find survivors before the 72-hour golden time expires, the Colombian government has declared a three-day period of national mourning.

Reporter Hong Yeongjae.

[Reporter]

The body of an earthquake victim is recovered from beneath the rubble of a collapsed building.

As it enters the third day since a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck Colombia, local rescue teams are struggling to find missing persons within the 72-hour golden time.

[Alvaro Alejandro Eder / Mayor of Cali: There are 22 hours left before the 72 hours since the earthquake occurred are up. These 72 hours are the most critical period to save survivors and victims.]

The death toll from the earthquake was initially announced as 250, but Colombian authorities corrected it to 216, citing an error in the tallying process.

However, with many people still buried under collapsed buildings, the number of casualties is expected to rise further.

Estimates of the number of missing persons also vary.

While the Colombian president stated that there are at least 195 missing people, local media reports indicate that unofficial estimates put the number of missing near 4,000.

Meanwhile, in Pereira, which was hit hard by the earthquake, a 32-year-old woman was dramatically rescued from the rubble of a building after a 12-hour rescue operation.

To mourn the victims of the strong earthquake, the Colombian government declared a three-day period of national mourning and decided to fly flags at half-mast at government buildings and diplomatic missions abroad.

The South Korean government plans to provide 1 million dollars in humanitarian aid through international organizations to support recovery efforts in the earthquake-affected areas.

(Video Editing: Lee Seung-yeol)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.