Some people have been missing in Magelang; it is often called the Magelang City of Mystery. There are various factors why many people are going missing in Magelang. The contour of Magelang itself is variative. There are places categorised as urban, marked by dense populations and relatively close neighbourhoods. Yet, at the same time, some places are quite remote, hidden among the mountains and relatively untouched by modernisation, or at least by mass public transport.
The five mountains of Magelang have attracted many hikers to take on the challenge of hiking them. Though some said the mountains are quite welcoming for beginners, they are still mountains with their obstacles and risks. A professional should be invited to help the hikers, yet several people ultimately choose to ignore the obstacles, or at least fail to realise their own capacity before climbing one of the mountains.
Let’s look at the case of Syafiq Ridan Ali Razan, who went off the radar in 2025. He went missing in 2025. Reports said that he was climbing Mount Slamet (one of the famous five mountains in Magelang). He was then found after a search party was done. Unfortunately, he had been dead for many days. The medical report stated that hypothermia killed him.
Not All Magelang City of Mystery’s Cases are About People Lost in the Mountains
The disappeared people sometimes do not disappear because they took risky activities. In some cases, it is a homicide; a murder mystery. In Mertoyudan, a mother and her son went missing after saying goodbye to their family, saying they needed to go to Salatiga, a neighbouring city of Magelang, to get money from their ‘project’. Apparently, they never came back, and their bodies were found with many other dead bodies, buried after they were killed by a serial killer named Slamet Tohari.
Not all stories ended up sad. There was a man who had been missing for thirty years. People thought this guy had died. His name is Muhammad Masyim Masruri, or famously known as Pak Sim. He had been missing since 1999 due to severe depression issues. His family thought he had passed away; apparently, he is not. After the social task force found him, he had his reunion with the whole family.
Finally, The Case of Magelang City of Mystery is Not That Stranger Than Fiction After All
The issue is somehow explainable in simpler terms. The case can be just another unsolved crime that happens all over the world. Homicide, murder or another form of crime is the logical explanation of several disappearances.
Meanwhile, another explanation is accidents. No doubt that the natural contour of Magelang has attracted many people to come and visit. They want to enjoy or challenge themselves against natural obstacles in Magelang. Yet not all ended happily; therefore, several people are missing. This might be a strong warning for the government to regulate hiking trails and other nature activities.
Lastly, some missing people are people with severe psychological issues. Magelang is still a traditional and conservative city that is not used to people with psychological issues. Some people do not know how to treat people with psychological issues. The government needs to regulate and start a campaign for people who are actually having psychological issues so professionals will treat them; in the end, family members are not the right people to solve this issue since they are not trained for this.
There will be more people who disappear in the future, but we can minimise the risks by showing enough care to people who need psychological support, avoiding people who look suspicious, and always reflecting and being aware of what we can and cannot do.
