[Anchor]

Overnight rescue operations have continued in the earthquake-stricken regions. As search efforts progress, the scale of casualties is expected to rise, with some projections suggesting the death toll could reach as high as 100,000.

Reported by Kim Minpyo.

[Reporter]

At every site of a collapsed building, cries for help ring out as people search for family members who could not escape in time.

[Earthquake Survivor (Caracas): Please help me. He (the person trapped) was in the same place as I was.]

The earthquake struck on the evening of a public holiday, the anniversary of Venezuela's independence victory. Desperate overnight rescue operations are underway across Venezuela, including in La Guaira and Caracas, as crews dig through the rubble of collapsed buildings.

Neighboring Latin American countries have rushed to dispatch military personnel, and U.S. President Trump has also sent rescue teams, stating that he is willing to assist Venezuela.

Venezuelan Interim President Rodriguez has declared a national state of emergency.

[Rodriguez/Interim President of Venezuela: This is truly a heartbreaking tragedy. I extend my deepest condolences and solidarity, and express my sympathies to the bereaved families.]

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has projected a 40% probability that the death toll from this earthquake will range between 10,000 and 100,000, with a 14% chance that it could exceed 100,000.

Such massive damage is anticipated because two powerful earthquakes, both exceeding magnitude 7, occurred in near succession. Furthermore, the depths of the two quakes were relatively shallow—21.9 km and 10 km, respectively—resulting in a greater impact on the surface.

More than 20 aftershocks have also been recorded.

[Maria Alejandra/Earthquake Survivor: When I finally made it downstairs, the scene before my eyes was like something out of a horror movie. I had to crawl through the gaps in the building debris to get out.]

Venezuela is prone to earthquakes as it sits on the boundary where the Caribbean Plate and the South American Plate meet. This earthquake has been recorded as the most powerful to hit the region in 126 years, since a magnitude 7.7 quake in 1900.

(Video Editing: Kim Byeong-jik)