Tourist Dies On Mount Agung Renewing Cautions For Tourists 

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Tourists in Bali are being reminded of the importance of hiking with a guide.

The renewed warnings come after a 29-year-old Dutch woman died in hospital after falling on Mount Agung.

Tragically, every year, there are deaths on both Mount Agung and Mount Batur as tourists underestimate the conditions of the trials. 

The incident took place in the early hours of Thursday, 23rd May, as reported by the Head of Public Relations for the Karangasem Police, Iptu I Gede Sukadana.

He confirmed that the woman died after falling 15m into a deep ravine. The 29-year-old woman and her Danish partner set off via the Pasar Agung Temple route.

The couple did not hire the services of a local guide, as is required. Sukadana told reporters, “The two of them climbed Mount Agung at around 03.00 WITA in the morning independently without using the services of a local guide.”

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The woman, known by her initials FB, is said to have slipped and fell into a ravine at approximately 1,600m above sea level.

PSA, in a panic, ran back down the mountain to seek help. When he arrived at the parking area, PSA met a member of the Social Forestry Business Group (KUPS). PSA, the first responder, and dozens of local residents then ran to the location where FB fell to help evacuate her. 

Sukadana said that FB was successfully evacuated using a stretcher, and teams descended the slopes of Mount Agung. Once they arrived at the bottom of the mountain, FB was immediately rushed to the Selat Health Center.

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However, tragically, though she was conscious on arrival at the hospital, her condition rapidly deteriorated, and she died shortly after.

Sukadana confirmed that FB died of her extensive and serious injuries. He confirmed, “The lower jaw bone was broken, the left arm was broken, the stomach was scratched, the chin was torn, and the front teeth were broken.”

Tragically, this is not the first incident of its kind; every year, there are at least half a dozen deaths of tourists on the slopes of Bali’s two most popular mountains. In many cases, tourists are injured or die of their injuries on the mountain when they attempt to summit the peaks without a guide.

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There seems to be a longstanding misconception that since Bali’s volcanos and mountains are not as high as, say, the Alps, the Himalayas, or the Andes, somehow, these trials are a walk in the park.

The misconception is further fuelled by the notion that so many tourists scale, especially Mount Batur, that, therefore, the hike is easy and the terrain safe.

Due to the active nature of Mount Agung, tourists are also advised to minimize time spent at the crater summit. 

It is essential to hire a local guide to hike Mount Batur, Mount Agung and even for hiking around Mount Batukaru and Mount Abang which are in theory easier hikes but the trails are more overgrown and confusing to follow. 

While Bali’s search and rescue teams are some of the best in Indonesia, the remote nature of the locations where tourists fall on the mountainsides often means rescue missions require herculean efforts.

This advice stands for everyone, whether an international tourist, a domestic tourist, or a Balinese local. In March 2024, a 60-year-old Indonesian tourist died while attempting to hike Mount Agung solo.

The hiker was only discovered by another hiking group, which discovered his body close to the summit.

Speaking at the time, the Head of the Bali Search and Rescue Department, Nyoman Sidakarya, confirmed that the man had attempted to walk on an unmarked trail and had fallen and landed in a precarious position. The rescue mission took 28 hours in total. 

Tourists can hire local hiking guides via their accommodation provider, through travel agents, or via booking through online tours and travel providers.