Bali resort fire thwarts plans for Aussie travellers: 'So devastating'
Australians who have been planning a stay around Bali may have to make changes to their plans after a massive fire damaged 94 buildings, including popular tourist accommodations.
Local police say they are investigating the cause of the fire that gutted 59 rooms of the Jambuluwuk Oceano Hotel in Gili Trawangan Island on Saturday evening.
The fire, which reportedly began shortly after sunset at 6:30pm, ravaged through the resort's thatched-roofed hotel rooms and spread quickly to the nearby Eden Homestay on July 30.
Local reports say 49 tourist villas were also levelled in the fire.
Gili Trawangan, the largest in a group of three small offshore islands northwest of Lombok, is a popular island party destination with its beach-side restaurants, pubs and hotels.
Antara News reported that a guest staying in room number 175 at the Jambuluwuk Oceano Hotel first reported the fire, which is believed to have started in room 179.
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While this was promptly checked and confirmed by engineering staff, the fire had spread quickly due to the combination of strong winds and natural building materials.
Aussie tourists react
Raw footage of the inferno that was shared on Facebook showed the extent of the massive fire, which ripped through the tourist town, to the shock of many viewers.
"So devastating. Stayed there about 5 yrs ago. Such a lovely place. I only checked last week to see if it was still open now this has happened," a member of the Facebook group Bali Bogans lamented upon hearing the news.
"Oh!!! No!!! We are booked for the 19th August!!!" another member reacted.
There were no injuries or deaths reported as a result of the fire, as the hotels were reportedly evacuated safely during the blaze, which was eventually put out at around 10pm local time.
Local reports also reveal that as the island has no formal fire department, residents formed makeshift fire brigades, with some collecting water in buckets from swimming pools to help put out the fire.
A message on the resort's website reads: "Thank you for your sympathy and attention. Hopefully Jambuluwuk Oceano Gili Trawangan can go through this incident. All staying guests have been evacuated and transferred to other hotels."
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