Owner charged with negligence over glass bridge that shattered, killing tourist

One person died when the glass bridge shattered beneath a group of visitors on Oct 25. – The Jakarta Post

JAKARTA: The Banyumas City Police have charged Edi Suseno, the owner and manager of the Geong glass bridge, with negligence over a recent fatal accident at the Central Java tourist site and have found that he owns two other similar attractions in the area.

“We have determined that the manager is a suspect and he has since been detained,” said Banyumas City Police chief Edy Suranta Sitepu on Oct 25.

Senior Commissioner Edy said investigators had determined that the 63-year-old suspect had personally designed the glass bridge whose partial collapse killed one and injured three.

The structure also lacked the required licensing and failed to adhere to operational standards and safety regulations, including a lack of feasibility studies.

The bridge’s owner was charged under Articles 359 and 360 of the Criminal Code. Article 359 governs negligence resulting in the death of another, while the Article 360 addresses negligence resulting in injury to another.

“He is accused of committing negligence that resulted in either death or serious injury, bearing a maximum sentence of five years in prison,” said Edy.

According to Edy, the suspect owns three glass bridges: one at Limpakuwus Pine Forest and one in Guci, all in Central Java.

The two additional glass bridges have been closed to the public. In Guci, the local police are enforcing the closure of the attraction.

At the broken Geong bridge, the police discovered that the C-shaped canal connecting the T-shaped bridge had been joined by welding.

The welding work, investigators found, had been carried out unevenly, resulting in a wavy pattern.

“According to experts, placing the glass on a wavy surface leads to deflection or vibration, ultimately causing the glass to break,” Edy said.

The police also found that the foam on the glass, which is intended to relieve strain and dampen vibrations, had not properly set and had degraded over time.

Moreover, no information boards or visitor advisories were found at the entrance to the Limpakuwus glass bridge. – The Jakarta Post/ANN

China tourist left clinging to 100m-high bridge after glass panels smash

This article is more than 4 years old

Man rescued after sudden gusts shattered panels on bridge in Longjing city

A man was left stranded on a glass-bottomed suspension bridge in north-eastern China after sudden gale-force winds shattered the transparent panels around him.

The man was on the 100-metre-high bridge at Piyan Mountain in Longjing city, when it was hit by sudden strong weather, the local tourism department said.

Gusts of up to 150km per hour blew out several glass panels, trapping the tourist until he could be rescued by firefighters, police, and forestry and tourism personnel more than half an hour later.

Photos shared on social media showed the man clinging to the side of the bridge, surrounded by gaping holes where the glass panels used to be. State media reports were viewed more than 5.8 million times on China’s microblogging social media platform, Weibo.

The man was reportedly unharmed but was sent to hospital for assessment and counselling, state media reported.

Commenters described the scenario as a “nightmare”. One said: “So many glass-deck bridges have been built in recent years and are very popular with tourists. But how can we ensure their safety?”

Glass bridges are a popular tourist attraction in China, with the most famous in Zhangjiajie national park, Hunan province, which stretches 430 metres across a canyon, 300 metres in the air.

State media reported local governments were preparing guidelines to limit their construction, including technical standards and recommendations against building in earthquake zones.

Wild weather has rocked parts of China in recent days, impacting holiday travel. Videos shared online showed other bridges twisting and flipping in high winds, and on Monday afternoon authorities warned of hail, wind and lightning in Hubei.

The Piyan Mountain resort has been closed pending investigation.