Two Austrian tourists died while visiting Cunca Wulang Waterfall in Mbeliling District, West Manggarai Regency, East Nusa Tenggara, on Sunday, 24 May 2026, after falling from a suspension bridge that provides access to the tourist site.
The victims were identified as Jurgen Perjul and Astrid Perjul, who are believed to be husband and wife. They were visiting the waterfall, one of the tourist attractions located on the mainland area of Labuan Bajo and managed by the West Manggarai Tourism, Creative Economy, and Culture Office.
According to information gathered at the scene, the pair fell after part of the suspension bridge gave way while they were crossing. They landed on rocks below the bridge and sustained fatal injuries.
Photos circulating after the incident showed the victims lying among rocks beneath the bridge. Authorities have not issued further details regarding the sequence of events and continue to collect information following the incident.
The Head of the West Manggarai Tourism, Creative Economy, and Culture Office, Peter A. Rasyid, confirmed the deaths.
“The two tourists died while visiting Cunca Wulang,” Peter said, adding that authorities were still gathering more information regarding the incident.
Bridge Had Undergone Renovation in 2023
Following the incident, local officials revealed that the suspension bridge had undergone renovation work in 2023.
Cunca Wulang Village Secretary Benediktus Hartono said the bridge had previously been considered safe for public use because signs of deterioration were not visible from above.
“The bridge is still passable to the naked eye because the worn-out supports are not visible from above. Moreover, the bridge was renovated in 2023,” Benediktus said, as quoted by Pos Kupang.
According to Benediktus, the issue is suspected to have originated from damage to the lower support structure beneath the bridge. While visitors were crossing, the weakened support allegedly broke, causing part of the wooden planks to collapse.
He said another group of visitors had crossed the bridge earlier without incident.
“The previous group of tourists had crossed without any problems,” he said.
Authorities have not yet released an official conclusion regarding the cause of the collapse.
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Victims Fell Onto Rocks Below the Bridge
Local officials stated that the collapse caused the victims to fall into a rocky section below the bridge.
“The victims immediately fell onto a large rock below the bridge. The location is indeed filled with rocks,” Benediktus said.
Head of the Maumere Search and Rescue Office, Fathur Rahman, said the victims had died before rescuers reached the site.
“They both immediately fell down. Right onto the rocks,” Fathur said, as quoted by Kompas.com.
Officials stated that the suspension bridge stands approximately 10 metres above the river surface. Rescue personnel and local teams manually evacuated the victims from the area to the parking zone before transporting them to Komodo Regional Hospital in Labuan Bajo.
Authorities have not yet announced whether the tourist area will remain open during further evaluation and investigation.
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