'Please take care of our children': Last wish of man who died in Sumatra cyclone

Shock and grief for mum-of-four who lost husband as parts of famed culinary area are reduced to rubble

- Wahyudi Soeriaatmadja Indonesia Correspondent and Arlina Arshad Indonesia Bureau Chief

Road collapses in the Lembah Anai and Tanah Datar areas of West Sumatra are cutting off the main link between West Sumatra's Padang and Padang Panjang cities, following a flash flood. Many residents of Padang Panjang, a city heavily reliant on tourism, commute daily to Padang, but the authorities have urged them to stay away as the road is being repaired. ST PHOTOS: WAHYUDI SOERIAATMADJA

Ms Ratnawati, a homemaker and mother of four, became a widow after Tropical Cyclone Senyar tore across Indonesia’s Sumatra island in late November.

The storm unleashed a galodo -a flash flood in the Minangkabau language - that triggered landslides, tearing through villages and sweeping away uprooted trees, motorcycles and parts of roads.

The 32-year-old lived with her husband, 38-year-old waiter Reki Saputra, and their four young children near a riverbank in the path of the flood. They fled to higher ground when an evacuation alert was issued on Nov 26.

Believing the danger had passed, Mr Reki and several neighbours returned to their homes later on the same day to retrieve their belongings. He was trapped for four hours by a sudden landslide but was rescued.

When he went home again the next day, he was not so lucky. Rescuers later found his body.

"My last contact (with him) was that morning. He said he wanted to return to charge his mobile phone, take a nap as he had not slept the previous night, and retrieve our motorcycles," Ms Ratnawati told The Straits Times.

"He was a very responsible husband. He gave me all his weekly income from his job as a waiter, including his annual bonus."