Leg lost in transit: Thai professor reveals investigation into escalator accident at Bangkok airport

[snoop1130]

 

A professor from Kasetsart University in Thailand provided a media update on the investigation into an escalator accident that resulted in a woman losing half of her leg at Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok.

 

Weerachai Phutdhawong held a meeting yesterday with the airport authorities and other specialists to discuss the escalator accident that occurred on June 29, resulting in the injury of Suphannee Kittirattana, a 57-year-old Thai woman.

 

During the meeting, Weerachai disclosed that the airport authorities initially accepted responsibility for the malfunctioning escalator, which belonged to the airport. They expressed their full commitment to taking care of the victim and ensuring her well-being.

 

Weerachai further reported that the plate of the escalator had become detached from its rail due to worn-out screws. This caused it to slide beneath the moving steps just as the victim was walking on it. As a result, the escalator abruptly stopped working for 10 seconds.

 

While the escalator was still in motion the other plates continued to move forward, impacting the victim’s leg and resulting in the amputation. Weerachai stated that he suggested a reenactment of the incident to the airport authorities before having another two meetings.

 

According to Channel 7, the escalator had been in operation since 1987. The airport admitted that the escalator was old and planned to change them all after a budget was approved. The airport reassured the public that the new escalators would be first-class sensitive in terms of safety, to the extent that even a minor obstruction like a shoelace would be enough to halt the machine.

 

By Petch Petpailin

Caption: Photo via Facebook/ Weerachai Phutdhawong

 

#news

Full Story: https://thethaiger.com/news/national/leg-lost-in-transit-thai-professor-reveals-investigation-into-escalator-accident-at-bangkok-airport

 

-- © Copyright Thaiger 2023-07-07

 

- 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.

[BE88]

BS.  

And hadn't maintenance noticed the used screws that didn't fix the plates?

One would think that no maintenance had been done to save on airport costs.

[worgeordie]

55 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

Weerachai stated that he suggested a reenactment of the incident to the airport authorities before having another two meetings.

Any volunteer's , want to lose a leg , I hope the lady gets  all she deserves ,not just a few thousand

Baht ,   due to worn-out screws. , but at first they said it was not the escalators' fault , now they will

be checking (hopefully) all others at the airport , maintenance here means doing something after

the accident.

 

regards worgeordie

[Elkski]

How about a reenactment with the head of the airport?  Thailand is for sure getting the reputation like going on an adventure.  It's no Disney.  Almost depressing to live in US and read AN

 

[JensenZ]

The way the story is told here it suggests that the moving steps of the travelator amputated her leg and that it was not amputated by rescuers. 

 

The story continues about her recovery and that she is learning to walk again: "mentioned that she was currently undergoing physical rehabilitation, learning to walk again with a walker". Would a person who just had a leg amputated above the knee be undergoing physical rehab in one week and learning to walk again? It was mentioned in one report that the hospital would be attempting to reattach her leg.

 

Maybe she didn't lose her leg at all. The stories don't add up.

[webfact]

Loose Bolts Led To Horrific Accident At Don Mueang Airport: Academic
by TNR Staff

 

 

A KASETSART University academic said the accident at Don Mueang Airport whereby a female passenger’s left leg was severed till the knee after it was swallowed by a moving walkway was caused by loose bolts holding down a metal plate at the end of the conveyor belt, Naewna and Matichon newspapers said Friday (July 7).

 

At around 8.30 a.m. on June 29  the unidentified 57-year-old female passenger who was travelling to Nakhon Si Thammarat was proceeding through the Southern Corridor between piers 4-5 in Terminal 2 when hit by the accident.

 

Dr. Weerachai Phutdhawong, a professor at Kasetsart University’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences, said in a Facebook post that a meeting was held about this incident at Don Mueang Airport yesterday with 80% progress made and in a nutshell a conclusion was reached that it was an accident.

 

Full story: https://thainewsroom.com/2023/07/07/loose-bolts-led-to-horrific-accident-at-don-mueang-airport-academic/

 

-- © Copyright  THAI NEWSROOM 2023-07-08

 

- 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.

[Jonathan Swift]

7 hours ago, JensenZ said:

The way the story is told here it suggests that the moving steps of the travelator amputated her leg and that it was not amputated by rescuers. 

 

The story continues about her recovery and that she is learning to walk again: "mentioned that she was currently undergoing physical rehabilitation, learning to walk again with a walker". Would a person who just had a leg amputated above the knee be undergoing physical rehab in one week and learning to walk again? It was mentioned in one report that the hospital would be attempting to reattach her leg.

 

Maybe she didn't lose her leg at all. The stories don't add up.

In today's world amputees begin rehab relatively soon since it helps with the overall recovery and result. The longer a person is off their feet the longer it takes to recover. Meanwhile bear in mind that these stories are not written by medically educated people who then make their own interpretations of what is said 

[swm59nj]

So it’s inspected regularly.  But no one noticed the loose bolts. 
It’s from 1987. How often is it actually inspected 

[Colabamumbai]

Typical service after death or injury, no safety standards here. 

[AhFarangJa]

10 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

According to Channel 7, the escalator had been in operation since 1987. The airport admitted that the escalator was old and planned to change them all after a budget was approved.

"Once the directors had finished skimming off the maintenance budget".........There, fixed that.

[hotchilli]

10 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Weerachai stated that he suggested a reenactment of the incident to the airport authorities before having another two meetings.

Let the airport director volunteer... amputate his leg and see how he feels about real maintenance.

[Gandtee]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Loose Bolts Led To Horrific Accident At Don Mueang Airport: Academic
by TNR Staff

 

 

A KASETSART University academic said the accident at Don Mueang Airport whereby a female passenger’s left leg was severed till the knee after it was swallowed by a moving walkway was caused by loose bolts holding down a metal plate at the end of the conveyor belt, Naewna and Matichon newspapers said Friday (July 7).

 

At around 8.30 a.m. on June 29  the unidentified 57-year-old female passenger who was travelling to Nakhon Si Thammarat was proceeding through the Southern Corridor between piers 4-5 in Terminal 2 when hit by the accident.

 

Dr. Weerachai Phutdhawong, a professor at Kasetsart University’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences, said in a Facebook post that a meeting was held about this incident at Don Mueang Airport yesterday with 80% progress made and in a nutshell a conclusion was reached that it was an accident.

 

Full story: https://thainewsroom.com/2023/07/07/loose-bolts-led-to-horrific-accident-at-don-mueang-airport-academic/

 

-- © Copyright  THAI NEWSROOM 2023-07-08

 

- 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.

Who is writing this stuff? What is the proofreader doing?

[Phredd]

I had both bones in my leg broken 2.5 years ago still having Physio and a long time to come. Metal plate with 15 screws to hold it together. I cannot thank the Thai Medical Staff for their professional care, but not the Idiot driving her husband's big bike, at about 80kph who said "I didn't see him". Lucky I had an independent witness and a Thai nurse across the street, visiting her aging parents, at the time of the accident, who I'm told saved my life. Take Care, as in Thailand you need eyes in the back of your head. ????

[JensenZ]

41 minutes ago, Jonathan Swift said:

In today's world amputees begin rehab relatively soon since it helps with the overall recovery and result. The longer a person is off their feet the longer it takes to recover. Meanwhile bear in mind that these stories are not written by medically educated people who then make their own interpretations of what is said 

There were a lot of different conclusions possible from all the reports I've read:

 

1. She had lacerations on her lower leg

2. Her leg was amputated by the travelator plates

3. Her leg was amputated by the rescue team

4. Bumrungrad said they could reattach the leg, suggesting her lower leg was still in serviceable condition.

 

I'm no expert, but it would be difficult to believe she was being taught to walk again in most of these scenarios. If she was a candidate for a prosthetic leg, the amputation wound would take at least 6 weeks to heal. If her leg was reattached, it would take months and that would only be possible if the lower leg was still in good condition after they amputated it.

[Chongalulu]

10 hours ago, Elkski said:

How about a reenactment with the head of the airport? 

So now you want a decapitation?! ????

Haven't we suffered enough horror,man?!

[stoner]

i was in a store yesterday...lets call it schmobinsons. 

 

due to this story i find myself looking at all the yellow teeth on these things now. well sure enough i could see that one of the teeth was broken off. how long before a 2nd is broken off or a 3rd ? 

 

and then......

[RichardColeman]

11 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

They expressed their full commitment to taking care of the victim and ensuring her well-being.

I note 'full and life long' compensation and all hospital bills is missing the from statement

[Leif Kullberg]

Any responsible company would have yearly maintenance on a elevator - r we there again when the Thai logic say -lets go until it breaks.

Edited July 7, 2023 by Leif Kullberg

[Skeptic7]

Tomorrow's headline: 

 

KASETSART University academic WRONG.

Lay-DEE Own Fault for Losing Leg. 

[jcmj]

Rehabilitation will begin within a few days, but it will mostly be very simple and gentle stretching exercises to help you maintain the range of motion in all your other limbs. The physiotherapist will likely also guide you through some exercises to prevent blood clots from forming.

[Nicholas Paul KNIGHT]

So it would appear that normal minimum maintenance was carried out by a person who is either not qualified or a complete idiot. Loose bolts means only one thing, POOR MAINTENANCE . 

[Aussie999]

Weren't we told these escalators were checked EVERY day?

[Chongalulu]

7 minutes ago, Aussie999 said:

Weren't we told these escalators were checked EVERY day?

Of course they are. ”On,yes it's moving - Off,yes it's stopped " Maintenance - tick box.. 

[Gottfrid]

12 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

According to Channel 7, the escalator had been in operation since 1987.

Translation: Last service was made 1987

[1happykamper]

It makes one wonder... When we step onto any escalator in Thailand... Or elevator from the 20th floor... Or lean on a high balcony railing... or touch the WALK button to cross the street. 

 

Thailand is a can of worms when it comes to "ways to die in Thailand". 

 

[Sig]

Now that's some extremely surprising news! Worn out screws... i.e., deferred (meaning "zero") maintenance. Whooda thunk it!

[kennw]

11 hours ago, worgeordie said:

Any volunteer's , want to lose a leg , I hope the lady gets  all she deserves ,not just a few thousand

Baht ,   due to worn-out screws. , but at first they said it was not the escalators' fault , now they will

be checking (hopefully) all others at the airport , maintenance here means doing something after

the accident.

 

regards worgeordie

Unfortunately preventive maintenance in Thailand is a rare thing, More often "maintenance" is undertaken when it breaks. 

[newbee2022]

"Any volunteer's , want to lose a leg"

 

 

??? what does that mean ???

Do you mean: No volunteer wants to lose a leg? And where the volunteers are coming from? To test the escalator?

Do you mean: Nobody wants to lose a leg voluntarily? But even involuntarily people don't want to lose a leg, isn't it?

And why is it volunteer's ( with this apostrophe) ??

????????????

[bignok]

2 hours ago, swm59nj said:

So it’s inspected regularly.  But no one noticed the loose bolts. 
It’s from 1987. How often is it actually inspected 

The Dreamworld deaths were scary. Go look at that one.

[tandor]

12 hours ago, worgeordie said:

Any volunteer's , want to lose a leg , I hope the lady gets  all she deserves ,not just a few thousand

Baht ,   due to worn-out screws. , but at first they said it was not the escalators' fault , now they will

be checking (hopefully) all others at the airport , maintenance here means doing something after

the accident.

 

regards worgeordie

...good ole Lieland...two bob each way

Edited July 8, 2023 by tandor