The bridge that killed two Austrian tourists was not a sudden accident. It was a collapse waiting to happen.
Jurgen Perjul (55) and Astrid Perjul (57), a married couple from Austria, died on Sunday, May 24, 2026, after falling approximately 20 meters from a suspension bridge at Cunca Wulang waterfall in West Manggarai Regency, NTT.
Now, police have revealed the full condition of the bridge.
The wooden support beams were rotten. The safety nets on both sides were gone — nearly 90 percent missing. The planks beneath their feet were loose, lifted, and in some places, completely detached from the frame.
“The investigation found a gaping hole 1.20 meters long in the bridge floor that had broken,” said AKBP Christian Kadang, chief of West Manggarai Police, on Monday, May 25, 2026.
A Bridge That Should Have Been Closed
The suspension bridge was the main access route to Cunca Wulang waterfall, a popular inland destination about 1.5 hours by road from Labuan Bajo. The site is managed by the West Manggarai Tourism, Creative Economy, and Culture Agency.
But according to police, there was no written standard operating procedure for routine bridge inspections. No adequate tourist safety system. No warning signs at dangerous points. No accident insurance for visitors.
A local guide had warned the couple about slippery trekking trails due to weather. But the bridge itself — rotten, unstable, and missing basic safety features — was the deciding factor.
“The condition of the bridge, which was already unfit for use, became the determining factor in the collapse of the victims’ footing, causing them to fall to the riverbed,” Christian said.
Investigation and Evidence
Police have examined five key witnesses: the village head, the ticket retribution officer, the local guide who accompanied the victims, the couple’s private driver, and a police officer who first secured the scene.
The victims’ bodies remain at the funeral installation of Komodo Regional Hospital in Labuan Bajo. Police are coordinating with the Austrian Embassy in Jakarta for repatriation.
According to internal sources at West Manggarai Police, the bodies are scheduled to be flown back to Austria on Tuesday, May 26, 2026.
What This Means for Travelers
Labuan Bajo is marketed as a “super priority” tourism destination — Indonesia’s answer to Bali’s eastern frontier. Visitors come for Komodo dragons, pink beaches, and luxury cruises. But the region also promotes inland waterfalls and trekking routes as part of its eco-tourism appeal.
This incident exposes the gap between marketing and maintenance.
A bridge with rotten supports and missing safety nets should never have been open to the public. That it remained open — and that two tourists died because of it — raises questions about who knew, who approved, and who is responsible.
Christian said police will investigate all aspects: safety standards, facility management, and potential negligence.
“We will process everything according to legal provisions,” he said.
A Destination’s Reckoning
Ninety percent of the safety nets were gone. The wooden supports were rotten. There was no inspection schedule. No warning signs. No insurance.
And two Austrian tourists fell through a hole in the bridge floor.
Labuan Bajo wants to be a world-class destination. But world-class destinations do not let visitors cross bridges that are already dead.
