One site has been closed after officers discovered rotten wooden stairs. Authorities say preventive checks are now a priority.
LABUAN BAJO, Indonesia – Days after two Austrian tourists fell to their deaths from a rotten suspension bridge at Cunca Wulang Waterfall, police across the Manggarai Barat regency have begun conducting surprise safety inspections at other natural attractions.
The checks, which started earlier this week, are now expanding.
On Friday afternoon, it was the turn of Sano Nggoang Police Sector, which inspected the “Thousand Waterfalls” tourism site in Langgo Village, Wae Lolos Village, Sano Nggoang District.
“This step is a form of preventive evaluation and a commitment to security and safety at vital objects and tourist destinations within the Manggarai Barat Police jurisdiction,” said Ipda Risbel Pandiangan, Chief of Sano Nggoang Police.
Officers at the site walked the steep trekking routes. They tested the physical condition of wooden stairs and bridges that serve as the main access for tourists moving up and down the waterfall area.
What Officers Found
At the Thousand Waterfalls site, the news was relatively good.
Facilities were reported to be in fair and safe condition. Management, according to Risbel, regularly replaces wooden bridges when sections begin to show damage.
But officers issued a warning nonetheless.
“Wooden infrastructure in open natural areas is highly vulnerable to weathering due to changing weather conditions,” Risbel said.
“We advise management to schedule daily structural checks of bridges and stairs before operating hours.”
The message was clear: do not wait for damage to become severe before taking action.
A Different Result at Lake Sano Limbung
Not every inspection ended with a passing grade.
A day earlier, officers from Komodo Police Sector, together with the Boleng District Government and military posts, inspected the Sano Limbung Lake natural attraction in Golo Lujang Village, Boleng District.
There, they found wooden stairs in a state of decay.
Those stairs were the only access for tourists wanting to view the lake.
The site has now been temporarily closed.
“This closure is temporary while we wait for management to make comprehensive repairs so that the facilities are fit and safe to use again,” said AKP Eka Darma Yuda, Chief of Komodo Police, on Friday.
The Incident That Triggered the Crackdown
The inspections trace back to a single event.
On May 24, Jurgen Perjul, 55, and Astrid Perjul, 57, were crossing a suspension bridge approximately 20 meters above the ground at Cunca Wulang Waterfall when the structure collapsed. Both were killed.
Police later confirmed the bridge was rotten and unfit for use.
The couple had paid official retribution fees to enter the site. Those fees, police say, flow to the Manggarai Barat Tourism Office and the village government. But basic safety measures—warning signs, accident insurance, a safe bridge—were missing.
Investigators are now tracing the flow of those fees and examining whether criminal negligence played a role.
A Shift in Approach
For travelers visiting Labuan Bajo, the inspections represent a visible shift in how local authorities are approaching tourist safety.
What happened at Cunca Wulang was not supposed to happen. A premier attraction, promoted as one of the mainland’s highlights, should not have had a rotten bridge as its main access point.
Now, police are checking other sites.
Some are passing.
One is closed.
More inspections are likely.
“We do not want the past tragedy at Cunca Wulang to repeat itself here,” Risbel said. “Safety and security aspects must be the highest priority.”
What This Means for Visitors
For international tourists and expats planning trips to Labuan Bajo, the situation is layered.
On one hand, the inspections suggest that authorities are responding seriously to the deaths. Police are not waiting for another incident before acting.
On the other hand, the fact that these inspections were not already routine raises its own questions. How many other sites have wooden bridges or stairs that have not been checked? How many have warning signs? How many provide accident insurance?
For now, travelers are advised to exercise their own caution when visiting natural attractions in the region. Ask about safety measures. Look at the condition of bridges and stairs before crossing. And recognize that infrastructure standards may vary significantly between different sites.
The Investigation Continues
Police have not announced a timeline for completing their investigation into the Cunca Wulang collapse.
But the inspections happening across Manggarai Barat suggest that authorities are treating the incident as more than an isolated tragedy.
The question now is whether the changes will last—or whether attention will fade once the news cycle moves on.
For the families of Jurgen and Astrid Perjul, that question may offer little comfort.
For future visitors, it could mean the difference between a safe crossing and a fatal fall.
