Overview
- The couple, a 55-year-old man and a 57-year-old woman, fell about 20 meters after a roughly 50-meter wooden suspension footbridge gave way on the route to Cunca‑Wulang; their bodies were recovered from a rocky river on Sunday.
- Their tour guide, who witnessed the collapse, told reporters he heard a loud cracking of wood as the pair walked and posed for a camera before the planks suddenly broke within seconds.
- Local search-and-rescue teams recovered the victims and brought them to Komodo Regional Hospital in Labuan Bajo while the Cunca‑Wulang site and bridge were closed to visitors.
- West Manggarai police have opened an inquiry to secure evidence and assess the bridge's load-bearing integrity, and investigators will examine whether waterfall management was negligent.
- Officials and local media pointed to common hazards at remote sites—rotten timber, high jungle humidity and long rescue routes—which has prompted criticism of maintenance and could lead to repairs and tighter safety checks that affect tourism in the area.