© Jan Kaptein via Unsplash
Two Austrian tourists, a 55-year-old man and a 57-year-old woman, were killed on Sunday when a suspension bridge collapsed near the Cunca Wulang waterfall on the Indonesian island of Flores.
The couple fell about 20 meters down into the river. Their guide told local media that they were walking side by side and smiling to the camera, when suddenly he heard a loud bang of breaking wood and the bridge collapsed within seconds.
The 50-meter-long bridge is the only route on a 30-minute trek through the jungle to the waterfall, a popular destination about a two-hour drive from the tourist center of Labuan Bajo.
Witnesses had previously expressed concern about the condition of the bridge. Photos taken as recently as October show severely worn rope structures and rotted wood, HLN reports.
Fatal accidents in remote natural areas are not uncommon in Indonesia, where difficult terrain, outdated infrastructure and long rescue routes complicate relief efforts. Other tragedies have also occurred recently on Flores: in December, four members of a Spanish family drowned when their boat capsized off the island's coast.
Flores belongs to the Lesser Sunda Islands and is located about 500 kilometers east of Bali. The island is popular with visitors from around the world thanks to its diving sites, volcanic landscapes and proximity to Komodo National Park with its rare Komodo dragons.
Illustration picture: © Jan Kaptein via Unsplash