Balinese authorities implement safety checks after Ayuterra Resort lift crash kills five

Police investigations have continued into what caused the lift cable to snap, sending the elevator crashing into a ravine at the luxurious Ayuterra Resort in Ubud.

Five of the resort’s workers died.

In the days after the incident, authorities moved to ensure the fatal incident would not happen again, and said tourists should feel safe visiting the popular island destination, as reported by local English publication The Bali Sun.

Ubud Police head PC Uder said resort operators across Ubud will be required to confirm their health and safety and elevator safety check documents with local police, to ensure they are up to date.

“This will carried out in Bali, because of the orders of the Bali Police Chief, with the aim of preventing tourists from being afraid to come to Bali,” he said.

“We want tourists to Bali to only think about having fun without thinking about safety. Because of that, we as officials will guarantee that all facilities in Bali are safe to use.”

Bali Tourism Board head, Tjok Bagus Pemayun also said teams will work to ensure resorts and starred hotels with elevators or cable-car lifts have proper safety protocols in place.

While hotel operators have removed comments from Ayuterra Resort’s Instagram page, the resort is popular with tourists, including Australians.

On Wednesday, the business appeared to edit their Instagram captions on posts dated back to February.

In the days after the fatal accident, Bali Regional Police have continued their investigation of the crash, including whether the accident occurred as a result of criminal negligence.

Gianyar Police Chief AKBP I Ketut Widiada said police will investigate whether a reduction in the amount of sling ropes used by the elevator was a contributing factor in the crash.

Mr Widiada said he had been informed by a lift technician that the resort had modified its operations at the request of the resort’s management, Detik reports.

Social media footage from February this year, also appear to reveal the lift was operated with three ropes.

“If you look at what is circulating on social media, we actually saw at the TKP in 2019 (the elevator at Ayuterra Resort) more than one sling rope and at the time of the incident only one sling rope,” Mr Widiada said on Wednesday.

“It is not yet certain that a sling rope which is claimed to be able to withstand a load of 1.8 tonnes did not trigger an elevator accident.”

Previously, Bali Police’s public relations head Jansen Avitus Panjaitan also confirmed the elevator did not have an emergency break.

“Regarding this incident, we will ascertain whether apart from being in accordance with the SOP (standard operating procedures), whether there was an element of negligence in this incident,” he said.

The owner of Ayuterra Resort, Linggawati Utomo has also said the business will cover the cremation rituals of the five victims and offer the families of the deceased employees compensation on compassionate grounds.

However the payment was made with the stipulation families will not be able to sue the business.

Families have been given about IDR 40m ($4112) from the company, as well as IDR158.2m ($16,308) to IDR166.1m ($17,122) from the social security program BPJS Ketenagakerjaan.

The uncle of Mr Hardiyanti, Nyoman Suarila told local publication Kumparan, that he accepted the terms.

“Even if we sue, our children will not return,” he said.

“But we believe in karma. If the company is wrong, then it will get it. That’s our principle.

“If the incident that caused my nephew’s death was the fault of a technician or something, it must be processed according to applicable law.”