Australian woman and Dutch partner killed in Bali landslide

An Australian woman killed alongside her partner in Bali after heavy rain triggered a landslide has been named.

Angelina Smith and her partner Luciano Kross died in a landslide in Jatiluwih village. Picture: Instagram

An Australian woman and her partner killed after heavy rain triggered a landslide that swept away their villa has been named.

Police identified the Aussie as 47-year-old Angelina Smith and her Dutch partner Luciano Kross.

The pair’s wooden villa in Jatiluwih village, on the popular Indonesian tourist island, was hit by the landslide on Thursday morning after a downpour in the area the previous night, local disaster mitigation agency official I Nyoman Srinadha Giri told AFP.

The intense rain eroded water canals used for irrigation that sit above the villa and triggered the landslide, killing the two, according to the official.

“The victims were evacuated from the debris while in sleeping (positions). There were two victims, a man and a woman in one bed,” he said.

Angelina Smith and Luciano Kross died in Bali Landslide. Picture: Facebook

Ms Smith was born in Melbourne and had a United States permanent residence but appeared to spend much of her time in Indonesia.

Her 50-year-old partner Mr Kross was a former massage therapist and tutor of holistic medicine.

The victims’ bodies were transferred to a hospital in the provincial capital Denpasar.

A Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesperson said it was “providing consular assistance to the family of an Australian woman who has died in Bali”.

Angelina Smith and Luciano Kross died in Bali Landslide. Picture: Instagram

“We send our deepest condolences to the family at this difficult time,” the spokesperson said.

“Owing to our privacy obligations we are unable to provide further comment.”

The Jatiluwih village, also known as the Jatiluwih Rice Terraces, is about 45km north of Denpasar, or roughly a two hour drive.

Large areas of the Indonesian archipelago of 17,000 islands are prone to flooding and landslides during the wet season which starts around November.

Landslides in Indonesia have been aggravated in some places by deforestation, with prolonged torrential rain causing flooding in some areas.

Landslides and floods triggered by intense rains on Sumatra island last week killed at least 27 people.

— with AFP

Originally published as Australian woman and Dutch partner killed in Bali landslide