Agency official says rescuers still pulling survivors more than 72 hours after twin earthquakes

An agency official said rescuers continued to find survivors more than 72 hours after two back-to-back earthquakes struck, reporting about 500 aftershocks and that "yesterday alone, seven persons were pulled out of the rubble alive." The official warned responders remain in a "high-risk environment."

The official, speaking at the briefing, said the latest aftershock occurred that morning and emphasized that although the response is "beyond the 72-hour critical window," search-and-rescue teams are still "being able to pull out alive people." Those comments frame the effort as ongoing and hazardous for both survivors and rescuers.

The briefing highlighted immediate rescue statistics and humanitarian response: the official noted 500 aftershocks since the initial quakes and praised "the heroism of the people and the solidarity," saying "the world has come together and very rapidly to provide assistance." No detailed breakdown of international or bilateral contributors was provided in the briefing.

Officials did not provide a full casualty count or a timeline for when rescue operations will wind down. The most recent operational detail in the briefing was that rescues were still under way that morning and that teams pulled seven people alive from rubble the previous day.

The official concluded by underscoring the continued danger posed by ongoing aftershocks and by thanking responders and international partners for rapid assistance. There was no announcement of a formal change in response posture or an end to active search operations.