In 2019 the lift at the Ayuterra Resort in Ubud, Bali, was filmed running on three sling ropes. On 1 September 2023 it was running on one. That is the central finding police have pointed to in the collapse that killed five hotel workers.
The glass-encased lift ran on a track up a steep slope, linking the upper and lower parts of the resort. On that Friday it plunged into a ravine. All five dead were employees in the resort’s housekeeping department. Two died at the scene and three later in hospital.
What police found
Officers collected the lift’s brake wheel, a section of the broken metal sling, a safety plate listing its specifications and surveillance footage. They suspect the main cause was the cut in the number of sling ropes holding the car. They also found that the brakes, which should have stopped the lift if a cable failed, did not work. Investigators wanted to know why, and who removed the two extra ropes, the owner or the technicians.
The lift went in during 2019 and passed a routine safety inspection in November 2022. Bali’s deputy governor, Cok Ace, said he had seen a permit declaring it safe. Police questioned the permit and the inspection itself, since the lift had no emergency brake and was running on one rope.
Two suspects
Gianyar Police named two suspects, and each faces a possible five-year prison term. One is the contractor, Mujiana. Police official Widiada said he was not registered with the Ministry of Manpower as an occupational safety expert for elevators and escalators, and built the lift in breach of the rules. The other is the resort’s owner and director, Vincent Juwono, 68. Police say he helped design the inclinator and approved replacing the three ropes with one, which they say violated workplace safety regulations.
Mujiana has been held since 14 December 2023. Vincent has not been detained. His lawyers cited mental health problems and delayed his transfer in December. Dr. Dewa Gde Basudewa, director of the Bali provincial mental hospital, said Vincent and his family came to the emergency room on 29 December 2023 at about 11:17 a.m. but he refused examination. Police questioned the authenticity of his medical certificate.
The case later moved from Gianyar Police to the Gianyar State Attorney’s Office. The prosecutor said Vincent has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and needs regular psychiatric treatment. Since 31 January 2024 he has been under house arrest with electronic monitoring. The prosecutor is preparing an indictment for a swift trial alongside Mujiana.
The resort owner offered to pay funeral costs and compensation of about $4,000 per family, on condition that the families take no legal action against the resort. The resort closed temporarily and moved its guests elsewhere. It has issued no official statement or apology.
