In response to a tragic incident yesterday where a woman lost part of her left leg on a travellator, Airports of Thailand (AoT) has commanded a comprehensive safety inspection of all moving walkways at Bangkok’s Don Mueang airport.
The mandate was issued by AoT’s president, Kerati Kijmanawat, subsequent to the incident that occurred in the airport’s domestic terminal at the South Corridor at 8:40am on Thursday morning.
Reports indicate that the injured individual — who remains unidentified — was en route to board a plane headed for Nakhon Si Thammarat when she stumbled on the walkway situated between Gate 4 and Gate 5.
The investigators hypothesize that the impact of the tumble unveiled the walkway’s safety shield, resulting in the victim being pulled into the internal workings of the travellator.
Mr Kerati reported that the woman was immediately transported to Bhumibol Adulyadej Hospital for medical intervention, as a medical team at the airport had to amputate her leg above the left knee.
She was subsequently moved to Bumrungrad International Hospital for ongoing care.
Mr Kerati conveyed AoT’s sincere apologies for the incident and committed to taking responsibility for all medical expenses and providing compensation to the victim for her injuries.
An investigation will be initiated by the authorities to ascertain if the incident resulted from an equipment failure or oversight.
Karant Thanakuljeerapat, the director of the airport, stated that all moving walkways throughout the airport were promptly deactivated for a safety inspection after the incident.
He mentioned that the travellator involved in the incident had recently undergone a regular maintenance check on June 21 and that these inspections take place quarterly.
The implicated walkway was manufactured by Hitachi in Japan and has been operational since 1996.
Mr Karant confirmed that the company was notified about the incident.
In light of the recent accident, he said, AoT’s initial plan to modernize all moving walkways within the airport by 2025 will be expedited to the forthcoming fiscal year.
