Moving walkway sucks in woman’s leg, Don Muang Airport.
An electric walkway, also known as a travelator located in Don Muang International Airport sucked in a woman’s leg, and the result is the leg got cut off. The woman was on her way to a flight heading home to Nakhon Si Thammarat Province on 29 June 2023. The moving walkway is located in the second domestic terminal. The woman was on the walkway when she accidentally tripped on her suitcase. The walkway caught onto her and started pulling her under the walkway. Airport officials nearby did their best to make sure she was stable before she was delivered to the Bhumibol Adulyadej Hospital.
Airport offcials closed down the walkway after the incident and promise they will take responsibility for all medical bills and compensation. Bunpong Kijwatanachai from the Engineering Institute of Thailand and related persons went to inspect the moving walkway on the 30th. He reported that the walkway has been put back together but there are missing teeth at the end of the walkway. The incident might have been caused by the wheel of a suitcase getting stuck in the teeth. The walkway mechanism, due to being stopped by the wheel, caused the teeth to break off and 3 screws locking the end of the walkway to the floor to fall off.
This resulted in a gap big enough for her leg to fall through when she took a step forward. This happened while the walkway was still operating causing her leg to be cut off. The son of the victim posted a letter online on the 30th stating that his mother, who is now at Bamrungrad Hospital, received surgery. Doctors are happy with the result but they will have to keep watch for a few days to make sure the remaining parts of her leg do not get infected. There is a chance that his mother will require more surgeries in the future. The family wants to focus on the recovery of the victim and states the mother is still in shock because she cannot imagine living life with one leg.
FB Caption: The victim has lost her leg to the moving walkway.
Source: Khaosod