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Two tourists died in a tree collapse at the popular Monkey Forest tourist attraction in Ubud, Bali on Tuesday. According to Sky News, the two foreign nationals, a 32-year-old tourist from France and a 42-year-old tourist from South Korea, were crushed as the tree fell over a walking path in the middle of the forest. Another tourist from South Korea also sustained injuries and was taken to Kenak Medika Ubud Hospital.
A viral video captured the terrifying moment the massive tree fell over the walkway. The video showed tourists running for their lives on the pathway as the tree came crashing down. The clip also captured the chaos after the giant tree hit the ground.
Take a look below:
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In a statement posted on Instagram, the operators of the sanctuary insist that the incident was "beyond human control". They announced that the sanctuary would be closed on December 11 and 12 in light of the tragedy and a further update regarding re-opening will be published in due course.
"With deep regret, we inform you that a tree branch has fallen due to strong winds in the Monkey Forest Ubud area. We would like to emphasise that the fallen branch was in healthy condition. We regularly conduct tree monitoring and pruning as part of our commitment to the safety of visitors, staff, and wildlife in Monkey Forest Ubud," the sanctuary said.
"However, this incident was caused by strong winds and extreme weather conditions beyond human control. Our team has taken swift action to evacuate the affected area and ensure the safety and comfort of other visitors. We are working closely with authorities to address the situation thoroughly," it added.
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According to Sky News, multiple staff and several tourists tried to help victims who were hit by the tree with police officers also arriving to assist.
Ubud Police Chief Commissioner Gusti Nyoman Subarsana said his team put in place an "immediate" evacuation of the park.
Notably, the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary is regarded as a sacred place. The forest enables visitors to get up close and interact with over 1,200 long-tailed macaque monkeys and explore temples and statues. Covering 12.5 hectares, the sanctuary is also home to 115 different species of trees.