Seated in his Turner home, Frank Madrid tries hard to hide his profound grief. But as he speaks about what he witnessed back home in Venezuela, his voice gives him away.
On Thursday, the Canberra resident returned from Caracas after visiting his family following the tragic loss of three relatives, including a 14-year-old cousin, in the devastating twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24, 2026.
His 85-year-old mother survived the initial disaster after being trapped 11 storeys high, but died three weeks later.
"My heart is broken for Venezuela. Nearly 6000 people have died, many are homeless, and thousands are still missing," Mr Madrid said.
On June 24, Mr Madrid was alerted that a major earthquake had struck Venezuela by his son in Australia.
Having survived the country's devastating 1967 earthquake as a child, he feared the worst for his family, especially his mother and sisters living in Caracas.
"The 1967 quake is perhaps my earliest childhood memory. I remember my mum holding my hand and my sister's hand as we ran down from the building while the floor shook beneath us," he recalled.
Desperate efforts to account for relatives in Caracas and La Guaira this time quickly turned to heartbreak.
"We were communicating on WhatsApp and initially realised my cousin Lourdes and her husband Gerardo were missing," Mr Madrid said.
Soon after, the family received news that a young family member, 14-year-old Alejandro, had died under the rubble.
"He was at his girlfriend's place and died trying to save her mother. What an angel he was," Mr Madrid said.
Days later, rescuers also found the bodies of Lourdes and Gerardo beneath the debris.
Amid the tragedy, there was brief relief when Mr Madrid's mother Lucy and sister Soraya escaped alive from their 11th-floor apartment in Caracas.
The relief was short-lived when Lucy died on July 17.
"I was at my mum's funeral in Venezuela when I met little Alejandro's father, also named Alejandro, and his wife, Gina. They had lost their only son. I was devastated," an emotional Mr Madrid said.
Throughout the capital, Mr Madrid witnessed widespread destruction, describing buildings that had "crumbled like a pack of cards."
His family's home, including their beach apartment, was left in ruins.
"I am so proud of my fellow Venezuelans. With no government support, they took it upon themselves to dig people out of the rubble with their bare hands," he said.
Another Canberran, O'Malley general practitioner Diana Novoa, shared a similar nightmare.
Just minutes before stepping on stage to address an international conference in Melbourne, she received news that her 77-year-old aunt, Martha, was missing after her 12-storey Caracas apartment block collapsed.
"My cousin sent me a picture of the building and I was speechless," Dr Novoa said.
"I went on stage and couldn't speak a word of what I had prepared. I ended up talking about my aunt."
Days later, her aunt was located alive at a local hospital. Tragically, the family's housekeeper, Maritza, died in the collapse, though the family dog was miraculously found unharmed several days later.
On July 25, Canberra's small Venezuelan community gathered in Turner to raise funds for disaster relief back home.
"It was very successful for such a small group. There are only about 40 Venezuelans living here," said Throsby resident and event volunteer Monica Gutiérrez.
The fundraiser in Canberra generated more than $32,000, which will be directed to Venezuelan grassroots rescue and rehabilitation organisations.
