LOOK. Famous Instagram elevator plunges down at Bali resort: five employees died | Abroad

Two men and three women from the housekeeping staff at Bali’s Ayuterra Resort were in the elevator at around 1 p.m. when the cable snapped. The young employees were between 19 and 24 years old and all of Indonesian descent. Two of them died instantly, the three others later died in hospital.

The rope that pulled the elevator up was not strong enough, so it snapped, said police commissioner Made Uder. “The steel rope was not strong enough to pull up the weight, which was quite heavy. And the brake did not work, so the elevator slid down at high speed and this accident could not be prevented,” he reports according to The Bali Sun. “As a result, the five elevator passengers were killed.”

The deputy governor of Bali, Cok Ace, who is also the chairman of ‘Hotel and Restaurant Association Bali’, has reviewed the hotel’s security documents after the accident. “This is the first time this has happened. I have seen the permits, especially regarding the use and safety of the work and regarding the condition of the lift,” he said. “An independent consultant from a routine inspection said in November 2022 it was still OK, also it has only been 8 months since they stated it is still safe.” The investigation will be led by Bali police, he added. The resort’s guests have been relocated while the investigation and mourning period is ongoing.

The famous Instagram elevator was used by tourists and staff alike between the upper levels of the hotel and along the edge of a ravine down to the lower level facilities. The glass elevator created picturesque images on social media and was therefore very popular with tourists.

The owner of the resort, Linggawati Utomo, said he will pay for the burial of the deceased. He also reportedly paid the families of the deceased nearly €4,000 to dissuade them from taking legal action against the resort.