"Even Morgues Paralyzed"... 'Economic State of Emergency' Declared

[Anchor]

The damage from the earthquake that struck South American Colombia is escalating. As casualties continue to mount, even morgues have been paralyzed, and surviving residents find themselves in a desperate situation. The Colombian government has declared an economic state of emergency.

Reporter Gwak Sang-eun has the details.

[Reporter]

A long line has formed in front of a morgue.

These are bereaved families who lost their loved ones in the earthquake that struck Colombia on the 10th.

[Morgue Official : Bodies will be handed over in order.]

With a sudden influx of bodies, proper guidance is non-existent and even the release of the deceased is being delayed, leaving the families heartbroken.

[Alicia Arias / Bereaved Family Member : The refrigerators are broken and the bodies are decomposing. Emergency measures must be taken.]

The situation is just as bleak for the survivors.

Children are left with nowhere to go in front of school buildings with completely collapsed roofs.

[German Membache Pena / School Teacher : Look at the damage. The auditorium has collapsed.]

Families of the missing and volunteers are mobilizing buckets and handcarts to clear the rubble, but it is far from enough.

[Jerson Lozano / Family Member of Missing Person : We haven't found any signs of life from our family members yet, but we haven't given up hope.]

Faced with the risk of additional collapses, residents are either setting out on evacuation routes or struggling with recovery by clearing debris with their bare hands in houses left with only frames, but relief efforts have yet to reach them.

[Osmel Soto / Earthquake Victim : No one has come to visit. Not even a single person came to say, 'We are doing this and that.']

Anxiety and sorrow weigh heavily on the minds of the displaced residents.

[Ebert Jonathan Morales / Earthquake Victim : We have nowhere to stay. We lost everything. Everything.]

As the damage snowballs, the Colombian government has declared an economic state of emergency.

Authorities report that the death toll stands at around 260, with injuries approaching 3,500.

However, the number of missing persons tallied by private sources reaches 4,000, which is eight times higher than the official government count, suggesting the scale of casualties is likely to grow further.

[Video Editing: Jung Sung-hoon]
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.