A Chinese tourist died yesterday morning after she was swept away by a huge wave while standing near the edge of a cliff at the Devil’s Tear cove on Nusa Lembongan island. The incident took place several months after local authorities placed railings following similar incidents in recent years.
“Around 10:20am, the victim was with her husband and a couple of their friends trying to take some photos before leaving, but suddenly a huge wave hit and swept her away to sea,” Putu Gede Ardana, spokesman of the Klungkung Police, told Kumparan.
The victim, identified as Xu Xinyue by local news outlets, was part of a tourist group visiting the popular photo site yesterday. Authorities managed to recover the victim and take her to a local health agency (Puskesmas), but she was declared dead not long after.
In October, authorities finally put up guardrails along the cliffs of the Devil’s Tear cove, where over the years, tourists have either died or gone missing after being swept away by huge waves while standing near the edge.
As the waves can, and often do, get violent, the chief of Klungkung Tourism Agency previously warned that the guardrails are simply one safety measure and that tourists should still exercise caution when visiting the spot, emphasizing how tour guides must always brief their guests about the possible dangers of the spot.
However, one tour guide told Coconuts Bali that Chinese tourists are more stubborn and are less likely to heed such instructions. Indeed, almost every reported incident at the Devil’s Tear cove in the past two years has involved a Chinese national; this most recent one adding to the unfortunate tally.
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