Police say 10 Indonesians were killed when they were swept away by waves while meditating on a beach on Saturday night.
A group of 23 people were killed as they meditated holding hands with each other on a terrifying beach in East Java province.
“They were very close to the sea and could not be rescued when the waves swept them away,” local police chief Harry Purnomo told TVOne.
Ten bodies were recovered from the sea and 12 were recovered. A 40-year-old man is being ignored.
Purnomo could not enter what kind of rituals they were performing, but the Guru escaped the tragedy and said he would be interrogated.
Batara Pangaribuan, the provincial military governor, told TVOne that the beach would usually be protected and closed after sunset, but the group was able to get inside.
Authorities have advised tourists not to swim or approach the water due to the risk of waves.
Last year, two Indonesian tourists were swept away by waves off the coast of Malang in East Java.
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