Passenger sustains serious injury on escalator at Don Mueang airport

[KhunBENQ]

What a confusion if you compare the articles.

Yesterday I was convinced it was an escalator but no it was a walkway!

 

"End of the walkway"

Which Thailand visitor hasn't heard it?

 

[norbra]

21 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

My point was that there doesn't appear to be any gap big enough for her leg could slip in to.

Yeah I could imagine her toes and some instep which would be crushed but if the walkway still failed to stop it would crush untill it did stop.

In the pic I think she is sitting on her left leg with her foot stuck under the floor plate

[Kevbo]

4 hours ago, Robbkk said:

News articles can't seem to agree if this happened on an escalator or

a moving walkway. Are there any journalists left?

Agree bad reporting ,it was a travelator, an escalator by definition has to go up

[norbra]

11 minutes ago, Kevbo said:

Agree bad reporting ,it was a travelator, an escalator by definition has to go up

"Escalator" was coined by Elisha Greaves Otis to display his revolutionary moving stairs to the media

[Dirk Z]

I walked by just after it happened. Lots of medics. 

[JensenZ]

My wife was already paranoid about using escalators after watching a lady swallowed by one in 2015 in China:

 

https://edition.cnn.com/videos/world/2015/07/28/china-escalator-mom-death-mall-reaction-family.cnn

 

Now she'll probably be taking the stairs.

[webfact]

UPDATE:

 

Checks ordered on moving walkways after shocking incident at Don Mueang

By Peter Roche

 

PHOTO: Spring News

 

Safety checks are to be carried out on all moving walkways at Bangkok’s Don Mueang airport, after a woman lost part of her leg yesterday morning at 8.40am, June 29.

 

The Bangkok Post reports that the female passenger was using the walkway in the airport’s domestic terminal when she apparently tripped over her suitcase as it came to the end of the 27 year old travellator. It’s believed the force of the fall opened the walkway’s yellow safety cover and the woman was pulled into its internal mechanism. Following the incident, Airports of Thailand has ordered inspections on all travellators at Don Mueang.

 

According to AoT president, Kerati Kijmanawat, the incident took place at around 8.40am yesterday. The female passenger was due to board a flight to the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat, when she fell between Gates 4 and 5.

 

Full story: https://phuket-go.com/phuket-news/national-news/checks-ordered-on-moving-walkways-after-shocking-incident-at-don-mueang/

 

-- © Copyright Phuket GO 2023-06-30

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

[richard_smith237]

According to information in some Thai Media this also occurred on a similar (or same?) travelator at Don Muang Airport less than one week ago when a child severely damaged his foot. 

(Link to that twitter video below).

 

Both the 2019 and the example described above involve crocks...  

 

 

Then there is this example a few years ago... 

Woman / mother half of her body swallowed up by an escalator 

Link: https://edition.cnn.com/2015/07/27/china/chinese-mother-killed-escalator/index.html

 

Who's going to use an escalator / travelator after all this ?

 

I will... this news reminds us to never be complacent. 

I have always held my sons hand on the travelators and escalators and ensure his footing is in the centre of the 'step'....  

 

Horrific stuff.

[JensenZ]

According to the report, they said (2nd hospital) they can reattach her leg. Apparently if the leg is cleanly severed (in this case intentially cut) there is a 77% chance of success. The condition of her lower leg will be crucial.

[JensenZ]

12 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

 

Then there is this example a few years ago... 

Woman / mother half of her body swallowed up by an escalator 

Link: https://edition.cnn.com/2015/07/27/china/chinese-mother-killed-escalator/index.html

 

 

Her whole body was dragged under the plate.

[gargamon]

Unbelievable. They cut off her leg because they didn't want to cut open the escalator? TiT. 

[pmarlin]

That was not an escalator, but a moving walkway.

[onthedarkside]

A very poor taste trolling post has been removed and a couple of replies rightly pointed out how  inappropriate it was also removed.

[JensenZ]

8 minutes ago, gargamon said:

Unbelievable. They cut off her leg because they didn't want to cut open the escalator? TiT. 

I agree. Surely there are tools like the "Jaws of Life" hydraulic rescue tools that could have spread the plates to take the leg out whole.

[JensenZ]

1 minute ago, pmarlin said:

That was not an escalator, but a moving walkway.

I think that point is well established, and we call it a "travelator". Does it matter what it is called?  

[superal]

I cannot remember where but I have seen emergency stop buttons on both escalators and walkways . Maybe it's dependent on a countries health & safety laws ?

[richard_smith237]

13 minutes ago, JensenZ said:

Her whole body was dragged under the plate.

I think in the 'China' incident the plate gave way when she stepped off the escalator.

 

In the case last week at Don Muang (involving the child), the child was wearing Crocks which got caught up in the side (parents weren't supervising).

 

In the case in 2019 at Don Munang, Crocks were also involved, the woman escaped injury with a fast reaction to remove her feet. 

 

In this case, something made the woman fall, the impact of the fall somehow generated gap into which her foot and lower-leg was 'dragged'.

 

 

13 minutes ago, gargamon said:

Unbelievable. They cut off her leg because they didn't want to cut open the escalator? TiT. 

You really believe they cut off her leg because they didn't want to open up the escalator ???

 

An outrageously obtuse response. 

[richard_smith237]

1 minute ago, JensenZ said:

5 minutes ago, pmarlin said:

That was not an escalator, but a moving walkway.

I think that point is well established, and we call it a "travelator". Does it matter what it is called?  

Indeed... some people getting so hung-up in the semantics and completely missing the story. 

 

We all know exactly what it is...  and calling it an escalator / Travelator / moving walkway etc is of little relevance... we can see what it is from the photo. 

[Burma Bill]

5 hours ago, Robbkk said:

News articles can't seem to agree if this happened on an escalator or

a moving walkway. Are there any journalists left?

Thank you and I totally agree. As mentioned elsewhere there are many reports from around the World in international media. From photos the tragic accident happened on a walkway (travelator UK) but how it happened is so varied. IMO (from reading several reports) the accident happened when the wheels of the ladies pink suitcase got jammed in the guard plate forcing the moving plates apart to create a space where the ladies left leg got trapped. I attach 2 photos to show this possibility:

 

First (New York Post) - damaged suitcase near wheel units

 

 

Second: (Running with Miles) - the damaged guard plate

 

 

[richard_smith237]

7 minutes ago, JensenZ said:

16 minutes ago, gargamon said:

Unbelievable. They cut off her leg because they didn't want to cut open the escalator? TiT. 

I agree. Surely there are tools like the "Jaws of Life" hydraulic rescue tools that could have spread the plates to take the leg out whole.

Perhaps...  but this has nothing to do with 'no wanting to cut open' the travelator...  that suggestion is moronic... 

 

I imagine they didn't have the tools onsite quickly enough and a decision had to be made fairly quickly to ensure life-saving treatment took precedence to avoid serious loss of blood and threat to life. 

 

Or, perhaps they'd already established that the leg was unrecoverable (mangled ?), although someone mentioned in another post that it was reported 'somewhere' that the leg could be re-attached - I'm not so sure about that. 

 

[manta]

I worked on the London Underground and the escalators are the most dangerous piece of machinery, people falling, getting their shoes sucked in at the end and the worst of all flip flops…

[gargamon]

Just now, richard_smith237 said:

You really believe they cut off her leg because they didn't want to open up the escalator ???

 

Yes. The Thai bean counters made the decision to cutoff her leg and pay some pittance as opposed to ripping up the hardware and paying a lot to repair the walkway. TiT. Obviously they would have needed her permission. I never would have given it if it was me. 

[richard_smith237]

1 minute ago, gargamon said:

8 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

You really believe they cut off her leg because they didn't want to open up the escalator ???

 

Yes. The Thai bean counters made the decision to cutoff her leg and pay some pittance as opposed to ripping up the hardware and paying a lot to repair the walkway. TiT. Obviously they would have needed her permission. I never would have given it if it was me. 

You have an outrageously low opinion of Thai's....        you are suggesting 'bean counters made the decision based solely on the purpose of saving money to cut off a woman's leg so that no further damage was caused to a 27 year old piece of machinery ????.... 

 

 

I really do have to wonder how people such as yourself can become so unhinged they actually believe such utter idiocy. 

 

 

 

 

 

[RocketDog]

7 hours ago, DjSilver said:

This will cost the Thais a lot. Let's make sure they will not get away with this.

Good idea.

How do we start?

What will you do?

Please advise guidance.

[JensenZ]

1 hour ago, richard_smith237 said:

 In this case, something made the woman fall, the impact of the fall somehow generated gap into which her foot and lower-leg was 'dragged'.

 

 

You really believe they cut off her leg because they didn't want to open up the escalator ???

 

An outrageously obtuse response. 

 I was talking about pneumatic tools to prise the plates apart, not just to "open up". I have no idea if they have these tools available in Thailand and how long they would have had to wait to get them. Note we have not received any report about what they did other than turn it off and amputate her leg.

 

Talking about slow (obtuse) - We already know why she fell. Her suitcase got trapped as the plates started to chew it up. This caused the lady to trip over her suitcase and obvioulsy put more pressue on the plates that gave way as she tried to regain her balance.

 

Note: you're insulting a lot of people here who you don't agree with. Cut it out - there's no need for it. You can answer politely or just don't reply.

[JensenZ]

1 hour ago, richard_smith237 said:

Perhaps...  but this has nothing to do with 'no wanting to cut open' the travelator...  that suggestion is moronic... 

 

I imagine they didn't have the tools onsite quickly enough and a decision had to be made fairly quickly to ensure life-saving treatment took precedence to avoid serious loss of blood and threat to life. 

 

Or, perhaps they'd already established that the leg was unrecoverable (mangled ?), although someone mentioned in another post that it was reported 'somewhere' that the leg could be re-attached - I'm not so sure about that. 

 

You might be more sure about if you investigate the possibilities of limb reattachment. They have successfully managed to reattach limbs since the 1960's. The amputation would provide the clean cut needed to give her more chances of successful surgery.

[Mingomania]

I don't see an escalator in the picture but a moving walkway, which is a straight level run..

[Tropposurfer]

Poor woman. What bl@@dy tragedy!  ???? and I use the word bloody in the Aussie vernacular not the literal sense of the word.

 

Like so may other posters here have expressed ... WTH! .... what are all these employees and folks in uniforms at every conceivable governmental and mall site doing all day n night?

 

Electrocutions, decapitations while riding along on the motocy, crushed by overturning overloaded trucks, killed in head-ons by lousy drivers, and to top it off they wanna incept a charge to enter the country! In the words of the cult classic on Australian life 'The Castle' tell him he's dreamin';

 

<<<< Off topic video removed >>>>

 

I walk for the exercise in airports and rarely use these things. Won't again in LOS that's for sure!

 

I remember when I was a tiny kid and my mum worked at the NSW Railways green building at Wynyard station entrance a person fell through the escalator and was summarily amputated ???????? 

 

I hope the woman sues these nitwits into oblivion !

[norbra]

If McGyver had been there he would have opened the "motor room",attached the resident handle to the motor and moved the "steps" in the opposite direction until the woman was freed.

[Dogmatix]

"The airport director and other senior administrators went to the hospital to follow up on the victim’s condition and promised to take care of her medical expenses and compensation.

 

The management also offered an apology for the accident."

 

This is AOT, a powerful state enterprise. Their lawyers and connections will ensure compensation is pitiful. The apology is not good enough. The director responsible for safety should be fired without compensation.  It is the only way to make Thais bother about safety.  This was an aged escalator installed in 1996, possibly second hand, and left unused for a few years while the airport was empty.