Five dead in elevator crash at luxury resort in Bali
Five workers at a luxury resort in Bali fell to their deaths on Friday when the cable supporting the hotel’s Instagram-famous glass elevator ruptured and workers fell 90 meters.
Two men and three women who were part of the cleaning staff at Ayuterra Resort were in the elevator around 1 p.m. when the cable broke.
They were identified as Kadek Hardiyanti, 24, Sang Putu Bayu Adi Krisna, 19, Ni Luh Supernigsih, 20, I Wayan Aries Setiawan, 23, and Kadek Yanti Pradewi, 19, all from Indonesia.
Two people died in the impact, three later died in hospital.
The rope pulling the elevator wasn’t strong enough, causing it to snap, Ubud Police Commissioner Made Uder said. according to the Bali Sun.
“The swing’s steel cable wasn’t strong enough to pull the rather heavy weight up, and the safety wedge or brake didn’t work, so the elevator slid down at high speed, so this accident couldn’t be avoided,” he said . “As a result, the five elevator passengers died.”
Bali Deputy Governor Cok Ace, who is also the chairman of the Bali Hotel and Restaurant Association, said he checked the hotel’s safety documents after the accident.
“This is the first time this has happened and if we look at a glance I’ve seen the permits, particularly in terms of use and safety of work, in terms of the condition of the elevator,” he said.
“An independent consultant said so during a routine inspection in November 2022 [it was fine]and it’s only been 8 months since they stated it still is [safe] Therefore, this is naturally included in the investigation.”
The elevator, famous on Instagram, was used by both tourists and staff between the upper floors of the hotel and down the rim of the gorge to the facilities on the lower floor.
The investigation would be led by the Bali Police, he added.
The resort’s guests were relocated during the investigation and mourning period.
The resort’s owner, Linggawati Utomo, 60, said he will pay for the funerals of those who died.
He also reportedly paid the families of the deceased about $4,000 to keep them from taking legal action against the resort.
Authorities say they are investigating the cause of the accident and also why secondary safety mechanisms were not in place to prevent the elevator from falling all the way down the shaft.
