Woman's Leg Amputated After Being Trapped In Moving Walkway In Thai Airport
A medical team treating the victim reportedly said that they could not reattach her leg.
By Yap Wan Xiang — 30 Jun 2023, 12:36 PM
A woman's leg was amputated after it was caught in a moving walkway at the Don Mueang International Airport, Bangkok, Thailand
According to Associated Press (AP), the assigned medical team had to cut her leg off from above the knee after airport authorities were was alerted about the incident at 8:40am yesterday, 29 June.
The woman was on her way to her 9:45am Nok Air flight to the Nakhon Si Thammarat province.
The airport she was in is the smaller of the two major airports in Bangkok, reported The Washington Post. Opened in 1914, it primarily serves budget regional airlines, such as Nok Air, Thai Air Asia, and Thai Lion Air. It is a hub for domestic travel.
The victim is a 57-year-old Thai national
The medical team at the first hospital, where the victim was receiving treatment, told Don Mueang Airport Director Karun Thanakuljeerapat that they could not reattach her leg.
The woman then requested to be transferred to another hospital to seek other possibilities, reported AP.
"On behalf of Don Mueang International Airport, I'd like to express my deepest condolences regarding the accident," Karun said, adding, "I'd like to insist that we will ensure that no such accident will happen again."
He said the airport will bear the victim's medical costs and be open to negotiations on other compensations.
According to photos of the incident that have gone viral online, the victim's left knee is seen trapped in the gap between the pallet tread and the landing plate
It is believed the victim's leg was trapped while she was exiting the walkway, as indicated by an arrow on the handrail panel.
She was wearing a pair of jeans and what seemed to be a pair of white flats.
Some yellow comb plates were dislodged from where they were initially attached to above the landing plate.
Two of the wheels of her luggage were missing in the photos, as if they were pulled out by a strong force.
The airport director said the wheels were found under the walkway belt, but it was unclear how they might relate to the accident, reported AP.
The manufacturer of the walkway is reportedly Japanese company Hitachi
Installed in 1996, it was scheduled for a change to a newer model in 2025, pending budget approval.
Karun said the airport checks the walkway daily, and does a more thorough inspection monthly.
In 2019, a passenger's shoe was damaged after getting caught in the moving walkway of another terminal at the same airport.
The airport released a statement following the incident four years ago, saying the faulty walkway was repaired and reopened after about an hour.
