High school student in Lembata found dead by hanging after leaving his boarding house

A twelfth-grade student at a senior high school, identified as YLG (19), from Lewoleba Barat village in Lembata Regency, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), was found dead on Tuesday, 3 March 2026. The victim is suspected of having ended his life by hanging from a Lusikawak tamarind tree.

The incident began when the victim said goodbye to the boarding house owner, identified as ELB, on Tuesday afternoon around 12:30 WITA. At that time, ELB was planting flowers at the boarding house.

“At that time the victim left wearing a white T-shirt and school trousers, carrying his school shoes, and left on the Honda Beat motorcycle parked in front of the boarding house, heading toward his school,” said Ona Pattipeilohy, Head of Public Information and Humas of Lembata Police, to detikBali on Wednesday, 4 March 2024.

Ona said that around 16:50 WITA, ELB heard crying coming from the front of the house. He checked the source of the noise.

“Suddenly the deceased’s biological father brought the victim into the boarding house; he was already lifeless,” he added.

A resident of Lewoleba Barat, initials IPB, said he saw a crowd around the location on Tuesday afternoon. He saw several of the victim’s schoolmates around the body, while the victim’s father was embracing him. At that time, the rope had already been released and the victim had been lowered to the ground.

“While the victim’s father was embracing him, the rope had been released and the victim had been lowered to the ground,” IPB said.

To date, the family has not provided a statement as they are attending to funeral arrangements. Police said there were no signs of violence on the victim’s body.