A woman had to have her leg amputated by rescuers after she became trapped in a travelator at Bangkok’s Don Mueang airport on Thursday 29th June 2023.
According to local media, the 57-year-old woman tripped over her suitcase while on her way to board a flight, causing her leg to become wedged underneath the travelator.
Photos circulating online showed the woman in a seated position with her left leg stuck, alongside a damaged pink suitcase.
The woman’s son expressed his worries about her morale and mental state on Facebook. “Even though she showed her strength through facial expression and tone of voice, we knew that deep down she was broken because she suddenly lost a leg,” wrote Kit Kittirattana.
Airport management expressed their deep sadness over the incident and pledged to compensate the woman for the partial loss of her left leg, as well as cover her medical expenses.
The airport director, Karant Thanakuljeerapat, addressed reporters on Thursday, stating that an investigation is underway to determine the cause of the incident.
Thanakuljeerapat also revealed that the airport had already planned to replace several old travelators by 2025 but may expedite the process in light of this incident.
The travelator in question had been in operation since 1996, according to local media reports.
