A woman lost her leg after an accident on a moving walkway at an airport on Thursday, June 29.
The ill-fated passenger, 57, whose identity has been withheld, was about to board her flight from Terminal Two at Don Mueang Airport in Bangkok, Thailand when a misstep over her luggage led to her leg becoming entangled in the machinery of the moving walkway.
Even with the immediate intervention of the airport’s medical personnel, the severity of her entrapment proved insurmountable. Consequently, a decision was made to amputate her left leg above the knee to free her.
In a snapshot captured following the incident, the woman can be seen leaning on a first responder, her amputated limb carefully hidden beneath a pair of jeans.
Initially, she was rushed to Bhumibol Adulyadej Hospital where the doctors deemed her leg irreparable. Unsatisfied with this prognosis, she later sought a second opinion from Bumrungrad International Hospital. Contrary to the initial diagnosis, the doctors at Bumrungrad remained hopeful of successfully reattaching her limb, as reported by The Straits Times. The woman’s medical expenses will be paid by the airport and they may be willing to offer additional damages, according to the airport director.
Investigations into the accident revealed that the travelator, installed by Japanese firm Hitachi in 1996, had luggage wheels trapped beneath it. Whether these played a direct role in the incident remains under review.