Tree-cutter in Badung Dies After Falling from Height Due to Faulty Safety Tie

A tree-cutter named Budi Handoyo (45) died after falling when struck by a pule tree trunk that he had been felling in Jaba Pura Dalem, Denkayu Traditional Village, Werdi Bhuwana Village, Mengwi District, Badung. The fatal incident occurred on Sunday 8 March 2026 in the afternoon when the victim, at height, incorrectly fastened his safety rope to the upper portion of the trunk that was about to be felled.

“He installed the safety rope incorrectly—on the upper part of the tree, when it should have been on the lower part. So when the felled trunk fell, that trunk was tied to his body,” said Perbekel (village chief) of Werdi Bhuwana Village, I Ketut Sadia Wijaya, on Monday 9 March 2026.

Video footage of the victim’s fall went viral on social media. In the circulating video, the tree trunk-cutting process is still ongoing and several people are seen slowly pulling the rope that had been secured.

This workplace accident began when the victim and five colleagues were pruning a tree 20 metres high since the morning. When work remained only the final trunk, the victim’s colleagues pulled that section using a rope from a distance of 200 metres, but the victim was instead dragged down and fell because he was tied to the same trunk.

“It happened yesterday around 2 p.m. It was actually the final cut, six metres from the bottom. The work had been ongoing since morning because the tree was really very tall,” explained Sadia.

The victim, who was from Senduro, Lumajang District, East Java, was immediately evacuated and his body was returned to his hometown on the same day. The family stated that they had accepted the tragedy and would not pursue any legal action against the traditional village administration.

“From the family there is no legal action—they said they are willing to accept it and have already made a written statement. The traditional village administration has also provided a condolence payment of 5 million rupiah,” he concluded.