Airports of Thailand Plc (AOT) has concluded that a collapsed plate on a moving walkway caused a woman to fall and her leg to be severed at Don Mueang airport last month.
AOT president Kerati Kijmanawat said on Wednesday that an investigation found that the moving walkway between Gates 4 and 5 of the second domestic terminal had a problem when one of its metal plates became detached from its frame, creating an opening.
Consequently a traveller fell into the mechanism and was seriously injured, said Mr Kerati, referring to the incident that happened at 8.21am on June 29. The victim was a 57-year-old woman who was about to board a flight to Nakhon Si Thammarat.
The woman had an emergency amputation of her left leg above the knee by medical staff at the scene before being rushed to a nearby hospital.
She was later taken to Bumrungrad Hospital for further surgery and treatment. Her family said they would file a complaint with police against the airport operator.
All 20 moving walkways at Don Mueang were suspended from service pending inspections and necessary upgrades.
Mr Kerati apologised for the incident and promised AOT would cover the woman’s treatment costs and give her the best compensation.
Twenty moving walkways at Don Mueang airport were installed by Hitachi Co of Japan in 1996 and its certified local dealer, Siam Hitachi, has maintained them regularly ever since, airport management said earlier.
