72-Hour Golden Time Passes After Powerful Venezuela Quake; Hope and Despair Intertwine at Rescue Sites

As the series of powerful earthquakes that struck Venezuela enters its fourth day, the 72-hour golden time, considered a critical window for life-saving rescues, has passed.

While dramatic stories of survival are emerging from some areas,

the sorrow and despair at the sites are deepening as the number of confirmed deaths and missing persons rises sharply with each passing hour.

Concerns are mounting that the damage from this earthquake will spiral out of control, as the Venezuelan government's rescue operations are failing to function properly and various forms of aid remain woefully insufficient.

Jorge Rodriguez, President of the National Assembly of Venezuela, stated on June 27 (local time) that the death toll from the series of earthquakes has reached 1,430.

This figure represents a sharp increase of more than 500 in just one day, up from 920 the previous day.

The number of missing persons is also increasing rapidly.

As of the morning of June 28, the number of missing persons reported on private websites had reached at least 68,900.

Experts consider the 48 to 72 hours following a disaster to be the golden time when the chances of survival are highest.

With 72 hours having passed since the earthquake as of 8:00 a.m. on June 28 (KST), the anxiety at the scene has reached a breaking point.

In some areas, news of miraculous rescues has provided residents with a glimmer of hope.

In La Guaira State, an El Salvador rescue team successfully saved a 15-year-old girl and her dog trapped under building debris, while a Spanish rescue team rescued a woman who had been buried under rubble for approximately 72 hours.

However, rescue operations are facing difficulties as aftershocks continue to hit the earthquake-stricken areas.

Severe traffic congestion and government-imposed restrictions are also hindering access to the rescue sites.

The Venezuelan government is only allowing individuals with official permits to enter the sites.

Yet, delays in the permit issuance process are actually causing setbacks in the work.

The inadequate response from the Venezuelan government has also sparked anger among residents.

The government has deployed military troops to La Guaira State, where the damage is concentrated, to handle the situation.

However, residents in the disaster zones are expressing their frustration, saying, "It is hard to even see a government official's face."

Mileidy Romero, a resident helping with rescue efforts in the Caraballeda area of La Guaira State, told the Associated Press in an interview, "The government did not even try to rescue the people alive under the rubble, and even though we located several bodies, they did not help with the recovery," adding, "What exactly are they waiting for?"

A mother who lost both her daughter and son-in-law in the earthquake told Agence France-Presse, "We had to pull out our children's bodies with our bare hands, and no help came at all."

In some locations, clashes have even broken out between angry residents and government officials.

The Associated Press reported that when officials who arrived with excavators attempted to leave after only taking "selfies" at the scene, local residents pulled the driver out and blocked the vehicle.

At the same time, the security system has collapsed, and looting is reportedly occurring in some shops and homes, according to the Mexican daily La Jornada and other reports.

The international community has begun providing comprehensive relief support.

A total of 1,600 rescue workers from various countries, including the United States, Mexico, El Salvador, Switzerland, Colombia, Spain, Ecuador, Chile, the Dominican Republic, and Panama, arrived in Venezuela on June 28 to begin search and rescue operations.

The resumption of partial operations at Simon Bolivar International Airport, Venezuela's largest airport, has made full-scale rescue support possible.

Although it was initially reported that the airport's runways were severely damaged in the wake of the powerful quake, a U.S. State Department official told reporters that one runway is currently open.

The Venezuelan government stated that rescue workers arrived on 17 separate flights, with an additional 25 flights expected to arrive within the next 24 hours.

Following the announcement of $150 million in aid, the U.S. is reportedly considering additional financial support.

A senior U.S. government official told Reuters, "We expect a funding package in the hundreds of millions of dollars to be announced soon."

Along with this, customized relief equipment, such as mobile hospitals to fill the medical gap and SpaceX's satellite internet service 'Starlink,' has been deployed to the field.

Infrastructure in the earthquake-affected areas has also been partially restored.

Venezuelan authorities announced that approximately 60% of power supply in La Guaira State has been restored.

The presidential office announced that it has opened a dedicated earthquake hotline to centralize reports of missing persons and requests for emergency assistance.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) stated in a release the previous day that the physical damage from the earthquake is estimated at $6.7 billion.

This amount is equivalent to 6% of Venezuela's Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.