Passenger loses leg on Bangkok airport escalator

[reader]

From The Thaiger

A Thai woman tragically lost her leg after collapsing on an escalator at Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok.

The Director of the Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok, Karun Thanakunjeeraphat, revealed the accident took place around 8.30am on June 29. He reported that the accident happened at an escalator in the South Corridor between Pier 4 and Pier 5 of the domestic passenger terminal 2.

According to the picture shared by the airport, the accident occurred at the end of the moving walkway. According to the report, the victim was en route to travel to the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat. While she was on the walkway, she collapsed, and then her leg was drawn into the machine, up to the kneecap. “From the CCTV footage, it appears that the passenger’s left leg was struck by a suitcase while she was on the escalator. She subsequently fell, and her leg was pulled down.”

Airport staff reacted promptly, providing immediate assistance and hurriedly rushing the victim to the Bhumibol Adulyadej Hospital. However, the severity of her injuries led to the unfortunate amputation of her leg.

All of the involved escalators were temporarily discontinued while the engineering team investigated the cause of the accident.

 

 

[PeterRS]

Reading other accounts, it seems this poor lady tripped over her own case resulting in the fall. But how, I wonder, is it possible for two wheels of her case to break off and find their way into the void at the end of the belt before her shoe and then her leg became trapped. Although quite old, these walkways are inspected daily. As those of us who have used walkways in many airports are aware, the gaps at the ends seem way too small even for a suitcase wheel to get stuck.

According to The Nation, after she fell her leg got trapped "on the edge of the conveyor belt." The New York Post has photographs which I shall not post here which the paper says is of the lady with her amputated leg covered by her jeans. Oddly she seems quite calm but that may well have been a result of the effects of the anaesthetic. There is also a photo showing the broken case. There is certainly a series of yellow flap-type parts as you reach the end of a walkway and one photo shows two parts had definitely become displaced.

Even so, I am surprised there is no automatic stop mechanism should any accident occur. I believe there may be a stop button similar to those on escalators. If so, one would expect another passenger to press it when screams were heard. No doubt we will learn more in due course. 

[reader]

I feel confident some lucky lawyer will get to the bottom of this.

[reader]

Media news follow-up accounts of this incident provide more insight into the possible mechanism of injury. 

The Bangkok Post reports that the roller bag wheels appear to have become entangled in the “comb” at the end of walkway, causing it to break. This may have been how the user’s leg was drawn into the enlarged space.

 

Meanwhile, Thai PBS World Carrie’s the following account:

The accident on an escalator at Don Mueang airport yesterday (Thursday) might have been caused by a small object falling into the end of the escalator, causing a gap in the floor panel that trapped the leg of a passenger before it stopped automatically 20 seconds later, said Boonpong Kitwattanachai, an advisor to the mechanical engineering committee of the Thai Engineering Institute of Thailand.

He said that a floor panel was found to have fallen under the escalator, indicating that the bolt which attaches the floor to the escalating rail had failed.

============

The accident, in which a female passenger lost part of her left leg when she fell on an escalator at Don Mueang International Airport on June 29^th, was not the first time that a passenger or their property has been pulled into an escalator mechanism at the airport.

On July 30^th, 2019, an accident caused by an escalator in Don Mueang International Airport was shared on a passenger’s Facebook page, after one of his shoes was damaged by being pulled into the mechanism while he was on the escalator.

According to the post, he was on the way back with his family after a night flight from Osaka to Don Mueang International Airport. He was on the moving walkway and, as he was about to step off, he felt something pulling his left shoe into the mechanism. He could not release it, because the force was too strong. He quickly pulled his foot out of the trapped shoe and, in less than a second, his shoe was drawn into the mechanism. 

==========

The accident on an escalator at Don Mueang airport yesterday (Thursday) might have been caused by a small object falling into the end of the escalator, causing a gap in the floor panel that trapped the leg of a passenger before it stopped automatically 20 seconds later, said Boonpong Kitwattanachai, an advisor to the mechanical engineering committee of the Thai Engineering Institute of Thailand.

He said that a floor panel was found to have fallen under the escalator, indicating that the bolt which attaches the floor to the escalating rail had failed.

For the sake of safety while riding on the escalator, Boonpong suggested passengers to keep one hand on the handrail and avoid using their cell phone.

[Londoner]

At BKK yesterday, there was an airport worker standing at the bottom of the escalator from arrivals to taxis.I wondered why....perhaps this story explains it.

I was so intrigued by this that I fell over my suitcase and was only saved by her kind-proffered hand. 

[PeterRS]

I have a simpe rule. If going up on an airport escalator, my suitcase is on the step in front of me, my hand firmly on the handle. At the end of the escalator, I lift the case slightly so the transition to terra firma is simple. If going down, the case on the step behind me. I am therefore always in control of it.

I have seen quite a few instances of passengers who lose control of their cases because either the case is in front of them going down or behind them going up. I have also seen at least six instances of passengers at BKK with over packed trolleys going down the moving walkway to the taxi rank with the trolley in front. When it comes to the end of the walkway, the trolley somehow snags slightly and all the bags fall off. Instead of getting out of the way, these passengers merely stand at the foot thereby causing near chaos behind them. Large signs illustrating how to deal with suitcases and trolleys could help.

[reader]

From The Nation

Don Mueang travelator incident leads to removal of airport director

The director of Don Mueang Airport is among 68 senior officers being transferred in the latest organisational restructuring of Airports of Thailand Plc (AOT), an informed news source said.

An AOT board meeting on Wednesday resolved to transfer 68 senior officers of levels 9 to 11 to different positions, effective August 1 and October 1. The reason for this restructuring is to improve the efficiency of AOT’s operations, the source added.

Among the senior officers affected are Karun Thanakuljeerapat, director of Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok, who was ordered to serve as an advisor at AOT headquarters. He will be replaced by Wijit Kaesaithiam, who is currently the director of Chiang Mai International Airport.

Karun’s transfer came after AOT’s investigation of the accident at Don Mueang International Airport on the morning of June 29. A passenger had her left leg amputated after getting stuck in a moving walkway at the South Corridor Pier no. 4-5 of Domestic Terminal 2.

The source said the investigation found that the accident was caused by one of the travelator’s plates slipping off its frame due to missing screws. Investigators reportedly found three loose screws in the pit beneath the travelator.

The travelator was originally installed in 1987 and underwent a complete part upgrade in 2015 by the original manufacturer. It has five safety sensors but lacks one at the floor plates because it is an old model, said the source.

AOT director Kirati Kitmanawat reportedly said that the board has proposed the hiring of a third-party investigator to check the conditions and safety of all walkways and related equipment at Don Mueang Airport to restore passengers’ confidence. The investigators must be experts in escalators, elevators and travelators.

The airport will also install additional CCTV cameras at all walkways to monitor if there is any damage or missing parts, he added.

Finally, the airport will hire an external audit company to audit the maintenance of all mechanical equipment in the airport. The report will help identify any shortcomings in airport operations and will be used to improve its standard operation procedures in both normal and emergency situations.

[KeepItReal]

On 7/5/2023 at 12:04 AM, PeterRS said:

I have a simpe rule. If going up on an airport escalator, my suitcase is on the step in front of me, my hand firmly on the handle. At the end of the escalator, I lift the case slightly so the transition to terra firma is simple. If going down, the case on the step behind me. I am therefore always in control of it.

I have seen quite a few instances of passengers who lose control of their cases because either the case is in front of them going down or behind them going up. I have also seen at least six instances of passengers at BKK with over packed trolleys going down the moving walkway to the taxi rank with the trolley in front. When it comes to the end of the walkway, the trolley somehow snags slightly and all the bags fall off. Instead of getting out of the way, these passengers merely stand at the foot thereby causing near chaos behind them. Large signs illustrating how to deal with suitcases and trolleys could help.

I recently took a trip to South Africa. At the airport in Johannesburg I noticed that it was common practice for passengers to use the escalators with heavily laden luggage carts in tow. I found it very strange and frankly, rather dangerous. They don't allow strollers, but luggage carts are okay. There are even signs up,  showing you it is okay to do this. Not being the adventurous type, I opted for the elevators. 🤭

[floridarob]

On 6/30/2023 at 4:40 AM, reader said:

I feel confident some lucky lawyer will get to the bottom of this.

These countries, injury lawsuits are practically non-existent......