The leg of a woman in a Thai airport has been amputated on Thursday after it became trapped by a movable walkway.
The 57-year-old passenger was due to board a flight from Bananas s Don Mueang airport to Nakhon Si Thammarat province in Terminal 2 when she was caught by the walkway. A medical team there ultimately had to remove her left leg from above the knee, the airport's officials said.
On behalf of Don Mueang International Airport, I d like to express my deepest condolences regarding the accident, airport director Karun Thanakuljeerapat told a news conference. I would like to insist that we will ensure that no such accident will happen again. He said airport will be fully responsible for the woman's medical expenses and will be open for negotiations regarding other compensation.
The medical team at the hospital informed Karun that they couldn't reattach her leg, but the woman asked to be transferred to another hospital to assess the possibility.
Images posted online showed the lower part of the woman's leg trapped beneath the belt at the end of the walkway, where she was helped by airport staff. A suitcase lying next to her was missing two wheels, and the yellow comb-like plates were seen broken off from where they typically cover the edge of the belt where the moving walkway ends.
Karun said the suitcase wheels were found underneath the belt, but it was unknown how it might relate to the accident. The airport said its walkways were checked daily, with an additional monthly inspection. The walkway has been closed and a team of engineers is inspecting it to determine the cause of the incident.