Woman loses leg after it gets trapped in moving walkway at Bangkok airport

A Thai woman lost her leg after it became stuck in a moving walkway at a Bangkok airport

A woman lost part of her leg after it became trapped in a moving walkway at a Bangkok airport on Thursday. The 57-year-old Thai woman, whose name has not been released, tripped over her suitcase at Bangkok’s Don Mueang Airport. Her leg became stuck in the moving walkway at terminal 2 of the airport, according to The New York Post.

A medical team at the airport had to amputate her limb above the knee to free her. She was stabilised and rushed to a nearby hospital in Sai Mai district of Thailand, where she was told her leg could not be reattached.

However, doctors at the Banrungrad International Hospital, where the woman sought a second opinion, are hopeful the leg can be reattached.

Airport authorities will cover the cost of the woman’s medical treatment and are open to talks of additional compensation.

"On behalf of the Don Mueang International Airport, I’d like to express my deepest condolences regarding the accident," Don Mueang Airport Director Karun Thanakuljeerapat said during a news conference, according to The Associated Press. "I’d like to insist that we will ensure that no such accident will happen again."

Thanakuljeerapat said the walkway in question was manufactured in 1996 by the Japanese company Hitachi. It had not been updated since, and the sensors on the walkway are different from those found on newer versions.

Thanakuljeerapat said the airport had planned to replace its old walkways by 2025, but the process may be expedited after the shocking accident. Meanwhile, the walkway in question has been closed by airport authorities.