A woman's leg had to be amputated after it got caught in a moving walkway at a Thailand airport on Thursday, officials said. The 57-year-old female passenger was scheduled to board a morning flight from Bangkok's Don Mueang Airport to Nakhon Si Thammarat province in the south.
Unfortunately, in a freak accident, the passenger tripped over her pink suitcase and her left leg got caught in the mechanism at the end of the travellator. The airport's officials reported that she was in extreme pain and had to be rushed to a hospital where a medical team had to amputate her left leg from above the knee to ensure her safety.
Freak Accident Ends in Tragic Loss
The woman was standing on the travellator along with other passengers when she suddenly tripped over a suitcase and her leg got stuck inside. Shocked bystanders rushed to switch off the emergency button as the machine continued to twist and rip the passenger's leg, affecting the muscles, tendons, and bones.
Soon, airport staff rushed to her aid, who also scrambled for help as the woman continued to yell in pain. The switch of the walkway was finally turned off but her legs were severely damaged by that time.
Finally, a medical team on the scene made the difficult decision to amputate her left leg from above the knee, as confirmed by the airport's officials.
Subsequently, she was urgently transported to Bhumibol Adulyadej Hospital in the capital city for immediate medical attention and treatment.
The woman was then rushed to Karun Hospital, where she was told that her severed leg could not be reattached. However, she requested to be transferred to another hospital for further evaluation and assessment regarding the possibility of reattachment.
Airport authorities have launched an investigation in response to the horrific accident to determine the cause and circumstances surrounding the incident.
The probe aims to identify the factors that led to the accident and implement measures to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.
An examination of the scene revealed that a nearby suitcase was missing two wheels, and the yellow comb-like plates, which normally cover the edge of the belt where the travellator ends, were broken off.
Tragic Loss
As a precautionary measure, the automatic walkway (travellator) has been temporarily closed. An engineering team is currently conducting a thorough inspection and security checks to ensure the safety and proper functioning of the walkway before it can be reopened.
"The director of Don Mueang Airport and management has visited the patient to follow up on the treatment and received information from the medical team at Bhumibol Hospital that she is currently in the process of receiving treatment from the medical team," the Don Mueang Airport said in a statement.
"Don Mueang Airport is deeply saddened by the incident and ready to fully accept the responsibility as well as take care of the medical expenses and compensation," the statement further read.
Despite the accident, the airport said that no flights were delayed. Don Mueang International Airport (DMK), which has been operational since 1914, was replaced by Suvarnabhumi International Airport (BKK) in 2006, situated on the outskirts of Bangkok.
The walkway involved in the incident was manufactured by the Japanese company Hitachi and had been installed in 1996, according to the airport director. The director further mentioned that there is a plan to request a budget for a newer model in 2025, indicating a future upgrade for the walkway system.
