[Anchor]

As the earthquake enters its third day, the "golden time" for rescuing those buried under the rubble is rapidly slipping away. While international rescue teams are arriving one after another, criticism is mounting over the Venezuelan government's inadequate response.

Reporter Yoo Deok-gi has the story.

[Reporter]

A teenager digs through the debris of a collapsed building with his bare hands and a single shovel, searching for his missing family.

With the 72-hour mark—widely considered the limit for survivors to endure without water—approaching, residents in the affected areas are growing increasingly desperate.

[Simon Medina/Earthquake Victim in Venezuela: I am looking for my mother and my younger sibling. It would be good if I could at least find their belongings or documents.]

Rescue efforts are slow, as there is a shortage of heavy equipment, and there is no way to dismantle or lift the debris of buildings that have pancaked.

Rescue teams dispatched by neighboring South American countries, the United States, and Europe are providing some relief.

A rescue team from El Salvador worked through the night to save a teenage girl and her pet dog trapped on the ninth floor of a collapsed building.

However, much of the arriving aid personnel and supplies remain stranded as airport runways and bridges leading into the city have been damaged.

[Eleanor Raikes/Vice President of the International Rescue Committee: The airport has been damaged. This is currently a major obstacle to bringing in large-scale supplies.]

With over 200 aftershocks continuing, a massive power outage occurred after power lines in the central region were severed. This forced a refinery that produces 146,000 barrels of oil per day to shut down, and the largest bulk cargo port is operating under restrictions, further delaying the distribution of relief goods.

In La Guaira, where the damage is concentrated, CNN reported that two out of three public hospitals have closed, and they are completely out of painkillers and anesthetics.

There are even reports that at the hospitals that remain open, the water supply has been cut off, forcing medical staff to wash their hands with intravenous saline solution.

(Video Editing: Choi Hye-ran, Design: Lee Jong-jung, Video Source: X(@nayibbukele))