Bali’s governor is worried accidents like yesterday’s sunken glass bottom boat will hurt Bali’s big tourism industry.
A boat carrying tourists flipped over with rough wave conditions in Serangan waters on Monday morning, killing a Japanese tourist, along with the Indonesian captain and his reportedly pregnant wife.
While just last month, a bridge collapsed in Klungkung, killing eight locals and in September, a fast boat exploded, taking the lives of two.
As far as yesterday’s accident goes, Made Mangku Pastika warned that water sports should be avoided in dangerous weather conditions.
“If it’s like this, please take note of the weather, do not push yourself if the weather is unfavorable. If using a boat, remember safety factors, such as buoys,” Pastika said in Denpasar on Tuesday, as quoted by Tribun Bali.
“The more people die, the more tourism will die later,” Pastika concluded.
Clearly all accidents in recent Bali history were not caused by weather, some resulting from poor infrastructure (like with the bridge) or dubious boat standards (like with the fast boat). Whether it’s monitoring the weather and wave conditions or routinely checking the engine and condition of the boat, it seems pretty fair to say Bali has a long way to go with safety standards.
