Worn-Out Screws Behind Bangkok Airport Travelator Collapse
In June, a woman was forced to amputate her leg after it got stuck in a travelator at Don Mueang Airport in Bangkok, Thailand.
An investigation has now shown that worn-out and missing screws under the travelator caused the incident.
Despite the traumatic incident, the victim, Ms Kittirattana, is reportedly making good progress in her recovery.
Missing screws allegedly caused travelator accident in Bangkok airport
According to Bangkok Post, Associate Professor Weerachai, whom the victim’s family appointed to join the fact-finding committee conducting a probe into the incident, said, “It was really an accident.”
After a committee meeting on 7 July, he noted that missing screws under the travelator may have caused the incident.
He said each panel of the travelator should be tightened with four screws, but the one that gave way after Ms Kittirattana stepped on only had one.
These screws may have fallen off due to wear and tear, as the travelator has operated for 30 years.
Source: MyTV Cebu on Facebook
Nevertheless, he said the incident had “nothing to do” with the luggage that caused the woman to fall, or the broken comb on the travelator.
Prof Weerachai additionally commented that despite the travelator’s old age, its sensor system was still functional as it stopped within 10 seconds.
Four flight attendants and technicians had rushed to help Ms Kittirattana when the accident occurred.
Victim recovering well, can walk over 15m
In a Facebook post, her son, Kit, thanked the associate professor for proving that the incident was not due to his mother’s negligence on the travellator.
Source: Kit Kit on Facebook
In another Facebook post, Kit shared a video of his mother’s rehabilitation process.
Source: Kit Kit on Facebook
In the post, he shared that Ms Kittirattana can now walk over 15 metres. However, she still needed practice to fulfil her daily routine, such as getting into bed and going to the bathroom.
He added that the family was keeping the use of prosthetic technology an option in the future, quipping,
Mother is still as beautiful as before.
Source: Kit Kit on Facebook
According to The Straits Times, Ms Kittirattana was planning to sue Airports of Thailand (AoT), the state-owned company that operates airports across Thailand.
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Featured image adapted from MyTV Cebu on Facebook and Kit Kit on Facebook.
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