Police name suspects after five died in resort lift in Ubud, Bali

Police have named two suspects they allege could be responsible after five people tragically died in a resort lift in Bali.

Authorities in Bali have named two suspects they allege could be responsible after five workers tragically died in a resort lift earlier this month.

An outdoor inclined elevator carrying the workers at Ayuterra Resort in the popular tourist town of Ubud plunged down a ravine after a cable snapped on September 1.

Two men and three women tragically died: Sang Putu Bayu Adi Krisna, 19, Kadek Yanti Pradewi, 19, Ni Luh Supernigsih, 20, I Wayan Aries Setiawan, 23, and Kadek Hardiyanti, 24.

Gianyar Police named the lift contractor, Mujiono, and the owner and manager of Ayuterra Resort, Vincent Juwono, as suspects at a press conference on Tuesday, local media reported.

According to detikBali, both men have been charged but not arrested.

Police referred to allegations the sling ropes on the lift were reduced from three to one and claimed the reason the remaining rope broke on September 1 was because it was overloaded.

Five people died after a cable carrying a glass lift at the Ayuterra Resort in Bali snapped. Picture: X / misterdetektif

Police say Vincent has been accused of making the request for a reduction in ropes and using Mujiono’s services.

When this allegation was made in early September, a lawyer for the resort, Nyoman Wirajaya, denied the claim to detikBali.

“There was no such request.” Mr Wirajaya told the outlet, according to an English translation. He claimed his client actually requested that the lift load capacity be increased.

Gianyar Police Chief AKBP I Ketut Widiada said Mujiono was not appropriately registered to carry out the job and did not follow regulations, reported detikBali.

“So the Ayuterra Resort lift did not meet standards and resulted in the sling rope breaking when there was a load,” he said.

He said Vincent was also a suspect due to the lift not complying with standards.

A picture uploaded to a Google review in December 2018 shows three cables. Picture: Google

A picture uploaded in April 2023 shows one cable. Picture: Google

Neither Vincent or Mujiono have been arrested.

“Currently the two suspects have not been detained because they have not been questioned as suspects,” Widiada said, according to the outlet.

“The plan is that on Friday they will be questioned as suspects and immediately detained.”

Surveillance footage showed the lift rapidly falling after the cable appeared to snap. Picture: TikTok

Widiada first publicly spoke of the allegations that ropes on the lift had been reduced at the owner’s request earlier this month when pictures began circulating on social media.

A picture was uploaded to Google Reviews showing the lift with three cables in December 2018 and a picture uploaded in April 2023, showed one cable.