Five charged over moo baan tunnel drowning

[webfact]

Five charged over moo baan tunnel drowning

By Jessada Chantharak 
The Nation

 

File photo

 

Five people face charges of recklessness causing death in the case of businesswoman Panumat Sae-tae, who drowned on September 6 when an underpass leading to her housing estate flooded and trapped her vehicle.
 

Bangkok police deputy chief Pol Maj-General Sompong Chingdoung told reporters on Sunday that three security guards at the estate and two executives involved in its operation would be charged. 

 

Panumat, 41, could not escape from her pickup truck when it was inundated in 2.5 metres of water during a storm and drowned after frantic rescue efforts failed. 

 

The executives facing negligence charges were expected to report to police on Monday, Sompong said, while the guards had already been charged with failing to stop vehicles entering the underpass when they knew other motorists had encountered flooding there that day.

 

 

Suchatvee Suwansawat, president of King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, told the press a fact-finding committee determined that a faulty drainage system caused the 100-metre-long tunnel under a railway line to flood. 

 

He said its water-retention well designed to divert rainwater to a separate pumping well and prevent flooding had become silted up with mud. The heavy wet sand dislodged the pipe connected to the pumping well, resulting in the rapid flooding of the underpass. 

 

Suchatvee said Bangkok had many underpasses with the same issue – Sompong put the number at up to 10.

 

The solution would be to install a sensor in the pumping well that would detect any problem with the connecting pipe, Suchatvee said. It would alert custodians so that access to the tunnel could be blocked.

 

He also recommended weekly checks on such drainage systems – and even daily during the rainy season.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30355499

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-10-01

[Aussie999]

Another option... do NOT enter a flooded tunnel.

 

[YetAnother]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Suchatvee said Bangkok had many underpasses with the same issue – Sompong put the number at up to 10.

is there any thai word for Maintenance ? if not, is there any understanding as to why it might be valuable ?

[happy chappie]

It all just boils down to maintainance and pure laziness.half a dozen road cones would of done the job.also can't see how on earth the woman has tried to drive through a tunnel that was 2.5 metres high and nearly completely blocked.maybe the security thought no one is thick enough to attempt driving under water.

[Thian]

So what's the function of those securitymen exactly? At our place i have never seen them do anything else than searching for burglars..

[aussie11950]

Well this is eye opening.

Forcing those in charge, to take responsibility for their actions.

Very similar to the law in the west of having responsibility for duty of care.

I hope this will be a wake up call to others, that they will be held responsible for their actions, if they are shown to be negligent.

That's my thoughts on this important matter.

 

[hotchilli]

1 hour ago, Thian said:

So what's the function of those securitymen exactly? At our place i have never seen them do anything else than searching for burglars..

Your lucky, yours search for burglars, at my location they just sit around all day at the gate trying to stay half awake !

[Thian]

10 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Your lucky, yours search for burglars, at my location they just sit around all day at the gate trying to stay half awake !

 

Ours do a good job but they have no authority do anything else like warning idiots or telling deliverycars to not speed (we have loads of speedbumps already). 

 

They also catch snakes, sweep the street when they're bored, chase soidogs out....and they bike around to the checkpoints they have to visit every hour or so.

[Oneville]

The deceased did not try to go through a flooded tunnel, the lights at the tunnel were not working on that tragic night, it was pitch black & raining. It was a 90 degree right hand turn straight into the water by which time her vehicle was floating. She couldn't open the windows or doors because the car battery had shorted out. It was a tomb! She called for help 3 times but it was over within 5 minutes. This could happen to anyone. I am a family friend of over 20 years. I visit them almost weekly and have lived at that Muban for a year. That tunnel had never been flooded with that much water, at 9 pm the same night another vehicle, seized it engine trying to crossover but it wasn't inundated with water yet, they eventually towed the vehicle away. In fact the deceased made that tragic turn into the tunnel barely 9 minutes after they towed the previous car. This is a gross case of negligence of the security guards! She is a highly educated lady who spent most of her free time in the USA... She was not a fool as some have hinted! 

[connda]

The 'business-woman' must have had ties.  Can't blame this on her for failing to use her own common sense not to drive into a flooded underpass, but instead there is a need to blame it on third parties and ruin the lives of people who really had nothing to do with the tragedy.   How special.   Unlike the 'little-people', the rich and connected can not be blamed for their own actions.  A scapegoat is needed.

Edited October 1, 2018 by connda

[robblok]

2 hours ago, Oneville said:

The deceased did not try to go through a flooded tunnel, the lights at the tunnel were not working on that tragic night, it was pitch black & raining. It was a 90 degree right hand turn straight into the water by which time her vehicle was floating. She couldn't open the windows or doors because the car battery had shorted out. It was a tomb! She called for help 3 times but it was over within 5 minutes. This could happen to anyone. I am a family friend of over 20 years. I visit them almost weekly and have lived at that Muban for a year. That tunnel had never been flooded with that much water, at 9 pm the same night another vehicle, seized it engine trying to crossover but it wasn't inundated with water yet, they eventually towed the vehicle away. In fact the deceased made that tragic turn into the tunnel barely 9 minutes after they towed the previous car. This is a gross case of negligence of the security guards! She is a highly educated lady who spent most of her free time in the USA... She was not a fool as some have hinted! Neither is she a typical Thai who is ignorant! 

That sheds a different light on the situation and now i understand why people are being charged.

[Darcula]

11 hours ago, webfact said:

the guards had already been charged with failing to stop vehicles entering the underpass

 

As if anybody listens to moo baan security guards.

[Oneville]

Here's a video perspective of how she left the Muban and drove into the water. I even have the video of her exiting the Muban and the guards did not warn her at all! This video was just taken in the day time! Imagine it pitched black & raining hard! 

 

 

[InfinityandBeyond]

3 hours ago, Oneville said:

The deceased did not try to go through a flooded tunnel, the lights at the tunnel were not working on that tragic night, it was pitch black & raining. It was a 90 degree right hand turn straight into the water by which time her vehicle was floating. She couldn't open the windows or doors because the car battery had shorted out. It was a tomb! She called for help 3 times but it was over within 5 minutes. This could happen to anyone. I am a family friend of over 20 years. I visit them almost weekly and have lived at that Muban for a year. That tunnel had never been flooded with that much water, at 9 pm the same night another vehicle, seized it engine trying to crossover but it wasn't inundated with water yet, they eventually towed the vehicle away. In fact the deceased made that tragic turn into the tunnel barely 9 minutes after they towed the previous car. This is a gross case of negligence of the security guards! She is a highly educated lady who spent most of her free time in the USA... She was not a fool as some have hinted! Neither is she a typical Thai who is ignorant! 

Indeed! And a caring mother of 3 beautiful children whose lives will never be the same. 

[connda]

15 minutes ago, InfinityandBeyond said:

She couldn't open the windows or doors because the car battery had shorted out. It was a tomb!

 

In which case I assume the family can sue the car manufacturer with the deep pockets for the big baht.  That seems to be an obvious safety issue with 'all-electric' accessories on vehicles.  So given that the vehicle becomes 'a tomb' once the electricity is shorted, wouldn't the car manufacturer actually be equally at fault?  You could say she was murdered by technology.  I'd say that this would be a safety issue for all vehicles which rely on 'all-electric' accessories such as automatic electric car locks and automatic electric windows which don't work once the power goes south.  Time for a major recall.  Ironic that poor people who can't afford the frills could have escaped their vehicles which have manually rolled down windows and manual door locks. 

Edited October 1, 2018 by connda

[InfinityandBeyond]

16 minutes ago, connda said:

 

In which case I assume the family can sue the car manufacturer with the deep pockets for the big baht.  That seems to be an obvious safety issue with 'all-electric' accessories on vehicles.  So given that the vehicle become a tomb once the electricity shorted, wouldn't the car manufacturer actually be equally at fault?  You could say she was murdered by technology.  I'd say that this would be a safety issue for all vehicles which rely on 'all-electric' accessories such as automatic electric car locks and automatic electric windows which don't work once the power goes south.  Time for a major recall.  Ironic that poor people who can't afford the frills could have escaped their vehicles which have manually rolled down windows and manual door locks. 

 

16 minutes ago, connda said:

 

In which case I assume the family can sue the car manufacturer with the deep pockets for the big baht.  That seems to be an obvious safety issue with 'all-electric' accessories on vehicles.  So given that the vehicle become a tomb once the electricity shorted, wouldn't the car manufacturer actually be equally at fault?  You could say she was murdered by technology.  I'd say that this would be a safety issue for all vehicles which rely on 'all-electric' accessories such as automatic electric car locks and automatic electric windows which don't work once the power goes south.  Time for a major recall.  Ironic that poor people who can't afford the frills could have escaped their vehicles which have manually rolled down windows and manual door locks. 

Not sure why the comments of poster Oneville that you have quoted appear under my handle. Maybe a TVF glitch? 

 

*Edit: I just noticed it double quoted your post. Likely a glitch. 

Edited October 1, 2018 by InfinityandBeyond
Amendment

[Henrik Andersen]

10 hours ago, aussie11950 said:

Well this is eye opening.

Forcing those in charge, to take responsibility for their actions.

Very similar to the law in the west of having responsibility for duty of care.

I hope this will be a wake up call to others, that they will be held responsible for their actions, if they are shown to be negligent.

That's my thoughts on this important matter.

 

you are right in some way but it is only because she was a business woman of some important but sorry why she would try driving in the tunnel full of water??  Thai people need to take responsibility for their own actions including this woman 

RIP 

[InfinityandBeyond]

43 minutes ago, Henrik Andersen said:

you are right in some way but it is only because she was a business woman of some important but sorry why she would try driving in the tunnel full of water??  Thai people need to take responsibility for their own actions including this woman 

RIP 

She was only important to those who loved her and laid her to rest including the countless who flew from around the globe on a moments notice to pay their respects to her (myself included). 

As for details of the tragic event, I cannot comment as I was not there. But I understand from the investigation it was not HER irresponsibility that led to the tragedy as the charges of criminal negligence clearly point out. She was not an irresponsible, uneducated or ignorant woman. She was a loving mother, wife, devoted sister and daughter. The family is shattered. RIP Sis. 

[Aussie999]

16 hours ago, Oneville said:

The deceased did not try to go through a flooded tunnel, the lights at the tunnel were not working on that tragic night, it was pitch black & raining. It was a 90 degree right hand turn straight into the water by which time her vehicle was floating. She couldn't open the windows or doors because the car battery had shorted out. It was a tomb! She called for help 3 times but it was over within 5 minutes. This could happen to anyone. I am a family friend of over 20 years. I visit them almost weekly and have lived at that Muban for a year. That tunnel had never been flooded with that much water, at 9 pm the same night another vehicle, seized it engine trying to crossover but it wasn't inundated with water yet, they eventually towed the vehicle away. In fact the deceased made that tragic turn into the tunnel barely 9 minutes after they towed the previous car. This is a gross case of negligence of the security guards! She is a highly educated lady who spent most of her free time in the USA... She was not a fool as some have hinted! Neither is she a typical Thai who is ignorant! 

The problem I have is, weren't her headlights working, also, how do you know she shouted 3 times, after all her windows, from what you say, were up... no-one could have heard her, also, I don't know of any car where the driver's door  cannot be opened if the battery is "shorted." Doors have mechanical over-rides.

 

Sometimes it's best not to post so much info, it only opens more questions.

Edited October 1, 2018 by Aussie999

[Oneville]

1 hour ago, Aussie999 said:

The problem I have is, weren't her headlights working, also, how do you know she shouted 3 times, after all her windows, from what you say, were up... no-one could have heard her, also, I don't know of any car where the driver's door  cannot be opened if the battery is "shorted." Doors have mechanical over-rides.

 

Sometimes it's best not to post so much info, it only opens more questions.

She called from her phone to a friend! She said that she couldn't open the windows & and doors, the car was filling up with water at a rapid pace. Anyways, we have laid her to rest.God bless her... We miss her. May she rest in everlasting peace. 

[MaxLee]

On 10/1/2018 at 4:24 AM, webfact said:

The executives facing negligence charges were expected to report to police on Monday, Sompong said, while the guards had already been charged with failing to stop vehicles entering the underpass when they knew other motorists had encountered flooding there that day.

Yep negligence charges of a few thousand Baht as always

[metisdead]

An inflammatory post has been removed:

 

7) You will respect fellow members and post in a civil manner. No personal attacks, hateful or insulting towards other members, (flaming) Stalking of members on either the forum or via PM will not be allowed.

[Daffy D]

A very sad and tragic accident. RIP to the lady and condolences to her friends and family.

 

I find it hard to come to understand why the doors could not be opened manually from the inside after the battery died. 

If this is indeed the case it surly is a case for the manufactures to take blame.

 

According to an earlier post "her vehicle was floating" and the water was rushing in. Seems it might be a case of water pressure differential.

 

Trying to open a car door when the water is higher on the outside than the inside of a car is impossible, too much pressure from outside keeping the door closed.

 

First one has to understand what is happening and not to panic. I realize this would be difficult but you have to wait for the water to fill the car and equal the pressure inside and out then the door will be abled to be opened.

 

Maybe it was a faulty electrical system that stopped the door from opening, but the information about water pressure differential is useful to keep in mind if you ever find yourself trapped in a car underwater. 

[Aussie999]

If the vehicle was floating, then she should have been able to open the windows, the battery, and window electricals would be above water for a few minutes, perhaps she was not thinking clearly., batteries do not "short" out in water, even sea water, though they will discharge, a some time, not a few minutes.