Global Courant
Bangkok, Thailand
CNN
—
A 57-year-old Thai woman had her leg amputated after she became trapped in a moving walkway at a Bangkok international airport on Thursday in a freak accident that has not yet been fully explained by authorities.
Don Mueang International Airport director Karant Thanakuljeerapat said the incident occurred at around 8:27 a.m. local time (7:27 p.m. ET) in the south aisle of the domestic passenger terminal.
Speaking at a news conference Thursday, Karant said the woman, who was heading to the southern city of Nakhon Si Thammarat, had a “serious” accident at the end of a moving walkway after her left leg got stuck at the end of the walkway.
Medics responded quickly and the woman was taken to the nearest hospital, although the severity of her injuries led to the amputation of her leg down to the kneecap, Karant said.
She has since been transferred to Bumrungrad International Hospital, one of the top medical facilities in the country, the director added.
“I would like to convey our deepest sorrow,” Karant told reporters.
The woman has not yet been named by authorities.
But her son, Krit Kittirattana, issued a statement on Facebook describing the accident as “heartbreaking”.
He said his mother has had surgery but is still at risk for potential complications and doctors are closely monitoring for signs of infection.
“My mother has continued to express her strength through her face and voice. But deep down we know her heart has been broken since she suddenly lost her leg,” he wrote.
He added that the family has requested CCTV footage of the accident.
Karant, the airport director, said Airports Of Thailand (AOT), the state-owned company that operates airports across the country, will cover and reimburse all medical expenses.
All airport moving walkways have been suspended while the cause of the incident is investigated and engineers conduct safety checks, he added.
“The cause of the incident is still under investigation to establish the facts. We may need to set up an investigative committee with outsiders to join to achieve impartiality and transparency,” he said.
He said the available closed-circuit television footage was taken from afar, requiring his staff more time to investigate.
He has not reached any preliminary conclusions at this stage.
However, the director defended the airport’s routine maintenance and checks, saying the walkway had been in use for 39 years.
One of the two international airports in Bangkok, Don Mueang is located in the northern part of the capital. It was formerly the city’s main airport until the newer and larger Suvarnabhumi Airport opened in 2006.
Thailand is a hugely popular tourist destination for those seeking warm weather and palm-fringed beaches.
The country has also worked hard on its health tourism with an abundance of private hospitals.
Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, tourism accounted for about 12% of the country’s economy with nearly 40 million arrivals in 2019.
The number of arrivals was decimated during the pandemic, but has started to recover in recent months. Thailand surpassed its tourism target in the first quarter of 2023, with 6.15 million arrivals between January and March.
