[Anchor]

The death toll is rising rapidly, but news of rescues remains scarce. Venezuela, with its economy crippled by long-standing sanctions from the United States and the European Union, lacks even the basic heavy equipment needed to conduct search and rescue operations.

Reporter Kim Young-a has the story.

[Reporter]

A man peering into the debris, now turned into a pile of rubble, calls out to his companions.

[Johan!]

They have finally discovered the person whose voice they had been searching for throughout the night.

[Juan Alberto Mendaño: I came here last night. I heard screams, but there was nothing I could do.]

It is impossible to even estimate how many more missing people remain trapped beneath the collapsed buildings.

[Mirna! Marquitos!]

While the Venezuelan government claims to be mobilizing all available personnel, including firefighters, police, and military, there is little that can be done at the scene.

This is because the country is suffering from a severe shortage of supplies due to long-standing Western sanctions, leaving them with a critical lack of heavy equipment like excavators necessary for search operations.

Residents are digging through the dirt with shovels and moving stones with their bare hands to search for the missing themselves.

[Argenis Martinez/Family member of a missing person: Please send tractors, excavators, and construction workers. That is what we need.]

The interim government led by Rodriguez, which took power following the ousting of President Maduro, is pinning its final hopes on international assistance.

[Delcy Rodriguez/Interim President of Venezuela: We have requested support from the international community. We are holding onto hope and praying for the lives of all Venezuelan citizens.]

Starting with the Dominican Republic, rescue teams from neighboring South American countries have arrived in Venezuela, and the United States, which has pledged $150 million in aid, has also dispatched U.S. troops to the capital, Caracas, to begin relief operations.

However, as more than 30 hours have passed since the earthquake, the golden time for rescuing survivors is rapidly slipping away.

Video Editing: Wi Won-yang