HEAVY rains poured down on the hamlet of Muntei Baru-Baru, Mentawai in West Sumatra, on Monday night last week. Outside, the waves of the Indian Ocean rolled in as usual. Candra was in bed with her baby, Girson Irfraek. Her husband, Kresianus, was asleep next to them. The clock showed it was 9:42pm.

Their wooden house suddenly started to sway. Candra felt a jerking movement. Her husband woke up. Realizing an earthquake was taking place, they qui