Lucky Escape As Lift Plunges 10 Floors At Pattaya Hotel

[Rimmer]

Lucky Escape as Lift Plunges 10 Floors at Pattaya Hotel

PATTAYA: -- Sixteen people have been injured in a devastating lift accident at the Welcome Jomtien Hotel in Pattaya on Saturday. The group had entered the lift at the 18th floor before an unknown power failure resulted in the lift freefalling 10 floors before hitting the ground level.

At the scene, on the ground floor of the Welcome Jomtien Hotel, officers managed to forcefully open the lift doors to free the trapped people. Upon opening the doors, 16 people were found inside, in varying states of injury or shock. Five were sent to the Pattaya Memorial Hospital, while the remaining 11 were transported to the Pattaya International Hospital.

Full story HERE

PATTAYA DAILY NEWS

-- 2010-07-25

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[TAWP]

Uh, shit...'Visit Thailand, here your worst phobia can come real'.

[imaneggspurt]

I didnt think this was possible, if there is a failure they are supposed to stop/lock where they are , i have a friend that works for otis and im sure he told me this, bizzarre

Edited July 25, 2010 by imaneggspurt

[imaneggspurt]

Ive just re read it, 16 people ? overloaded for sure, but, still shouldnt have happened, that royal plaza is the oldest of the 3 and is/was a sh1thole, ill bet its more likely the lift collapsed,another reason to step up my fitness program, ill be taking the stairs from now on,

Edited July 25, 2010 by imaneggspurt

[somtampet]

16 in a lift???

That sounds too many for a standard lift,unless they were Koreans and very light and thin

[mike_rad]

And the Welcome will pay their hospital bills, I bet

[Crossy]

Indeed, this should not be able to happen. A power failure should result in the lift descending on the gravity brake, either to the next floor or all the way to the bottom, slowly.

EDIT 16 would seem well overloaded unless it's a pretty big lift.

[ballpoint]

Sixteen people is rather a lot for one lift. And there's no way that it freefell ten floors. Try jumping off a ten story building onto a concrete pad and see how much of you is left to take to hospital.

[Deeral]

I have worked on lift shafts and it has been demonstrated to me several times how this is impossible.

One can only conclude that the lift was of some design that is completely unacceptable for public use or some essential parts had been removed and the lift shouldn't have been in service.......or the story is false.

THe number of people is pretty much irrelevant as the lift won't move if overweight.

Unless of course the floor fell out!

Edited July 25, 2010 by Deeral

[drBouz]

Sixteen people is rather a lot for one lift. And there's no way that it freefell ten floors. Try jumping off a ten story building onto a concrete pad and see how much of you is left to take to hospital.

agreed.

i have an impresion that some kind of brakes did take (some kind of) action, but breaking power was not enough to stop overloaded elevator.

from the other side while i was in thailand, i also had an impresion -if you have enough money - you can do everything - just like in western countries. the only problem is that bribe starts on much lower level in thailand. (so -if you are a lift manufacturer, you can have a qc/technical permission for your product, even if you did not make all the necessary security measures. just have to pay to right person.

anyhow, i'm glad these people are "just" injured, and nobody was killed

Edited July 25, 2010 by drBouz

[ExoticMatter]

No way was this free fall (though it might have felt like it). After 10 levels thats an awful lot of kinetic energy presumably the safety devices slowed them down to an extent, they are lucky to survive.

[moetownblues]

I thought 10 person was the maximum in a lift?

[Jingthing]

I remember reading that in Argentina that people die most everyday from elevator accidents. It is a country with many smaller older buildings, and older elevators. Yet we don't hear about elevator accidents very often here in Thailand. Happily, there were no deaths. They really were lucky.

[grantbkk]

While it is a tragedy no one can really be surprised. We are truely on our own here in the Land of Smiles. Maintenance is an afterthought and only becomes an issue after an incident. I wonder just how many near misses we have had at the airports? I wonder who will get the contract for the nuclear reactors? The same company that does the elevators I suppose.

[kennalder]

I thought 10 person was the maximum in a lift?

Yes and I thought everyone drove on the left side of the road. At least I don't believe in the tooth fairy anymore. :-)

[Finn DK]

Ohhh, i stayed there a few years ago and yes the lift are small not for 16 people .....

but a nice hotel anyway.

[stingray]

And the Welcome will pay their hospital bills, I bet

Lift Parts Made in China???

[screamingeagle]

Seems like every day, there's bad news from Pattaya. What's happening???

[halfhead]

Did they not jump as it was hitting the bottom?

[Basil B]

I doubt the lift actually "Free Fall 'ed" down 10 stories as 16 people got out alive, suspect it is a combination of of overloading, substandard design and poor maintenance.

[Sparkles]

I thought 10 person was the maximum in a lift?

Not when you can fit in 16 !

[Deke]

Lift Parts Made in China???

This is exactly what I was thinking.

[Jingthing]

Corners are cut and people get hurt. But I am serious about my last comment. It is surprising that we don't hear about MORE of these kinds of accidents in Thailand, so somebody is doing something right.

[dinom]

Seems like every day, there's bad news from Pattaya. What's happening???

The good news usually don't hit the charts?

[h5kaf]

Whilst this is an horrific story I wonder if the facts are correct. If the lift fell from the 18th floor through 10 floors it would be at the 8th floor not the ground floor. Unless of course the ground floor is the 8th level and there are 7 underground floors.

However 16 injured suggests some form of braking motion otherwise they would be dead.

[BKjohn]

If the lift was build to international standards this would be impossible. Someone was either incompetent or did not build this thing to specs and pocketed the money, which is the most likely scenario here. Since building inspectors are as corrupt as most officials their inspection is usually over by the time they get their envelope.

There is "normally" a "shock-absorber" at the bottom of the shaft as a "last resort" safety measure which will stop the lift without too many injuries to the passengers, but this is a last resort and will not be too pleasant. This is what probably happened here since a 10 story free fall onto concrete would have resulted in a number of death's for sure- 10 floors = approx. 40 meters.

TiT

[TAWP]

Whilst this is an horrific story I wonder if the facts are correct. If the lift fell from the 18th floor through 10 floors it would be at the 8th floor not the ground floor. Unless of course the ground floor is the 8th level and there are 7 underground floors.

However 16 injured suggests some form of braking motion otherwise they would be dead.

The failure did not happen right as they entered the elevator.

[shaunoro]

Counterfeit substandard spare parts used in maintenance of lift?

[BKjohn]

Counterfeit substandard spare parts used in maintenance of lift?

also very possible

If they ever (I hope not) do get a nuclear reactor here I shall move as far away as possible if there is a single Thai involved in there for anything else but sweeping the floor on the OUTSIDE

Hey OI how much is that valve ?? ... oh 1 million baht .... awww .. I can get one from my mate for 5,000 baht and we can pocket the difference .... yea great ...

Edited July 25, 2010 by BKjohn

[farangpattaya]

Which Hotel was it? There is no Welcome Plaza Jomtien in Pattaya.

There is Welcome Plaza in Pattaya and a Welcome Jomtien Beach Hotel in Jomtien.

In the WPH in Pattaya it's absolutely impossible to get 16 people in one elevator!!