Songkran waterfights: Boy dies after plunging into poisonous well

[webfact]

Boy Dies After Plunging Into Poisonous Well
By Khaosod English



BANGKOK: -- A boy has died after falling into a 10-metre deep well filled with toxic gas as he was playing Songkran waterfights in Ubon Ratchathanee province.

The police in Kueng Nai district were alerted of the incident yesterday evening, and the officers immediately dispatched rescue workers equipped with oxygen tanks to the well, which was located in Baan Tha Hai village.

The rescue workers spent approximately 10 minutes looking for the victim in the water at the well's bottom before locating the boy. The 8 8-year old was promptly lifted up to the waiting medical workers, but he was already dead by the time any help could be administered.

Police said the boy died from inhaling the noxious Hydrogen Sulfide gas which has accumulated in the well's depth.

According to the police, the well was dug by a contractor company as a part of the construction project at a nearby reservoir. The construction workers reportedly left the well covered by pieces of galvanised metal sheets as they halted their work during Songkran holiday.

Witnesses said the boy, who had recently returned to his home village from Bangkok with his parents, was playing waterfights with his friends when he stepped onto the sheets and plunged down into the well.

Police said they will summon witnesses and construction workers for interrogation to determine whether the incident was caused by unlawful neglect.

Source: http://en.khaosod.co.th/detail.php?newsid=1397542752


-- Khaosod English 2014-04-15

[Pimay1]

Very sad. RIP little fellow. I expect the sheets were just tin with little support strength.

[Thait Spot]

H2S is one of the most lethal gases known to man.

If it was known about and proper safety measures not taken then that contractor should be in prison. Probably should be there anyway for leaving a dangerous well open.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[chooka]

Should of had a proper cover on it, not just old tin.

[Thai at Heart]

What the hell is going on. Sad sad sad

[chainarong]

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Should of had a proper cover on it, not just old tin.

Proper signage Chooka and safety fenced off , as well, in the West , that company would be handing over quiet a considerable amount of money in fines and litigation .all-so company directors would be fined from their own bank accounts.

[anon467367354]

If that's not unlawful neglect then what is?

That's absolutely horrible. The Thai are so lax when it comes

to safety. Someone should be charged, start with the supervisors

and safety inspectors.

[tomyummer]

By the photo it was an easily accessible well. And the cover was light enough for an 8 year old to fall through. It should have been welded shut temporarily between usage or covered with heavy immovable material. So irresponsible!

[antimedia]

A very sad day for his family, I just hope this doesn't follow the norm whereby the contractor gets away scot free after they offer up their fall guy. Here we have two incidents of unavoidable death, the other being the young lad electrocuted. Interested to see if any media follows these two cases through and furnish all the details from go to woe thus exerting a little pressure so that justice prevails. Doubt it though, as the media in Thailand are a self serving bunch of parasites and as useless as teets on a bull.

[bangkokheat]

the gal sheets here are more like tin foil, hold nothing, another loss of innocent life due to not having the ability to think

[retell]

&lt;deleted&gt; rip for the little guy

Shame on the contracter

If he knew about the gas or not the biy should not be able just just run on top of those sheets

Or be around a building site in the first place,

Cannot blame it on the boy, they will surely try that ,how the hell can there be gas in a newly digged well anyway ??

[WhizBang]

If that's not unlawful neglect then what is?

That's absolutely horrible. The Thai are so lax when it comes

to safety. Someone should be charged, start with the supervisors

and safety inspectors.

Thailand has safety inspectors? Who knew.

I do agree that the company should be charged with gross negligence and very heavily fined (at a minimum).

[bangkokpoppys]

is there a word in Thai for "guilt"?

I believe not.

Nor conscience.

Good risk recognition is comprised of many factors, many of which are not afforded to the contractors' experience in this country.

Pay peanuts, get monkeys.

I fell sorry for the poor kid and the family that will never enjoy another Songkran ever again, nor will his mates.

[kuiburi]

Sad , at our place my kids and there friends play often ,

We have several wells , all closed with a concrete lit . price of well lit is 120 thb

Many Thais complain that they are to heavy to move .

[falangjim]

This whole country sometimes feels like "unlawful neglect." Sad story. RIP.

[ilovefufu]

A metaphor for the entire country.

[jcisco]

Sorry to hear of yet another tragic death during these holiday.

Would it of killed the contractors to bang in some star pickets and throw up some cyclone wire fencing. Very quickly done, costs almost nothing, especially compared to excavating a well.

Is it a lack of thinking, laziness or just not knowing any better. Regardless someone is culpable for this death, poor kid did not stand a chance.

[noitom]

Sad for the boy's family. "Unlawful neglect?" Thailand, of course.

[Benmart]

Poor little chap.

As with many construction projects that I have seen, little or no attention is paid to barricades, proper covers, fencing or other means to keep people, cars, scooters, etc., from falling into a hole. There seems to be no regard for safety or the moral and legal consequences.

I vote to investigate and punish severely the company and individuals responsible. The news media can splash this across the air waves and print to get the word out. I wish.

[bonobo]

I once was a juror in the US where a worker died at a construction site because a hole was not properly covered. The person who should have covered it just put a loose piece of plywood over the hole because he was upset that his supervisor took off early to go to Tijuana with a woman he just met, leaving the guy in charge.

Needless to say, negligence was found and the victim's family received a significant payment. I sincerely doubt that this poor boy's family will receive much in the way of anything other than a token payment, if even that.

[marko kok prong]

Laziness and a lack of ability to anticipate what could happen,unfortunatley all to common in Thailand.

[delgarcon]

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Should of had a proper cover on it, not just old tin.

Proper signage Chooka and safety fenced off , as well, in the West , that company would be handing over quiet a considerable amount of money in fines and litigation .all-so company directors would be fined from their own bank accounts.

You obviously don't know the West very well. Somebody would surely be charged with involuntary killing or manslaughter at least! Unbelievable neglect, RIP little boy.

[Jonmarleesco]

'... construction workers reportedly left the well covered by pieces of galvanised metal sheets ...' And that was the extent of their safety precautions, no doubt.

[Jonmarleesco]

Some will no doubt recall the incident in Siam Paragon just after - in fact, I think, on the day - it opened, when a young girl fell through a hole on the first [second] floor. The quote by a security guard, that 'she shouldn't have been there', says it all.

[fatdrunkandstupid]

The dangerous gas thing is a misnomer.

The boy died because he couldn't swim and was unable to keep afloat while the useless villagers tried to organise some help.

In the real world, the boy's friends would have told an adult and in a few seconds a rope with a loop in it would have been dropped down to the lad. He would have then been hauled to safety.

But here, there would have been a circle of morons gathered at the well, none of them doing anything to help.

Poor little lad...what a way to go...all alone in the darkness...

[chrissables]

I once was a juror in the US where a worker died at a construction site because a hole was not properly covered. The person who should have covered it just put a loose piece of plywood over the hole because he was upset that his supervisor took off early to go to Tijuana with a woman he just met, leaving the guy in charge.

Needless to say, negligence was found and the victim's family received a significant payment. I sincerely doubt that this poor boy's family will receive much in the way of anything other than a token payment, if even that.

Being responsible is correct, but when working in England the health and safety was over the top. Once dug 20 pits for trees, in a secured and private area, and as was leaving for the night i was forced to find something to cover them with. When i asked who would be there if not my staff the following morning i was told maybe a thief would climb in and could hurt himself. After years of that kind of bullsh#t it becomes too much. The same as wearing a hardhat in a child's play area. The West has gone to far, and here nobody cares!

[allan michaud]

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If that's not unlawful neglect then what is?

That's absolutely horrible. The Thai are so lax when it comes

to safety. Someone should be charged, start with the supervisors

and safety inspectors. alt=bah.gif>

They will only be charged if they are not rich enough to buy off relevant parties. Sorry state of affairs.