Austrian Tourists' Remains to be Cremated in Bali Following Fatal Bridge Collapse

The remains of two Austrian tourists, who perished after falling from a decayed suspension bridge in the Cunca Wulang Waterfall tourist area, West Manggarai, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), are set to be cremated in Bali after lying in Labuan Bajo for ten days. The deceased, a married couple identified as Jurgen Perjul (55) and Astrid Perjul (57), will have their ashes returned to their home country. Their child, who is already in Bali, will oversee the cremation process and the subsequent repatriation of the ashes to Austria.

The bodies were flown to Bali this morning. They had been held at the Komodo Regional General Hospital (RSUD) in Labuan Bajo since the incident occurred. “Based on coordination with the Austrian Embassy, the bodies are being sent to Bali for the cremation process first. After that, the ashes will be forwarded to Austria,” stated the Head of Criminal Investigation at West Manggarai Police, AKP Lufthi Darmawan Aditya.

As no family members were present in Labuan Bajo to claim the bodies, the Komodo Regional General Hospital took responsibility for transporting the remains to the representatives of the Austrian Embassy in Bali. Agustinus Janggu, the head of the hospital’s mortuary, was dispatched to accompany the remains to Bali.

The remains of Jurgen and Astrid were transported to Bali via Batik Air flight ID-6332, departing at 09:50 WITA. “With this departure, the authority for handling the remains now rests entirely with the Austrian Embassy in Denpasar before they undertake the long journey back to Austria,” concluded Lufthi.

Jurgen and Astrid fell from a suspension bridge at a height of approximately 20 metres. The bridge collapsed, causing both tourists to strike large rocks and die at the scene. Field investigations by the police revealed that the suspension bridge was in a decayed condition and unfit for use. Police are currently investigating the deaths, looking into potential negligence by the destination’s management. Cunca Wulang Waterfall is a popular destination in the Labuan Bajo area, managed by the West Manggarai Department of Tourism, Creative Economy, and Culture.