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Woman loses her leg after getting caught in an airport travelator: Passengers' horror as moving walkway at Bangkok airport mangles victim's limb forcing medics to amputate it in order to free her
A female tourist has had her leg amputated after getting it caught in a moving walkway at Bangkok airport.
- Woman tripped and got stuck in machine at Don Mueang International Airport
- WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT
The 57-year-old Thai passenger was due to board a flight from Bangkok's Don Mueang Airport to the southern Nakhon Si Thammarat province this morning in the airport's Terminal 2.
But in a freak accident, she tripped over her pink suitcase before her left leg was dragged into the mechanism at the end of the travelator.
Horrified passersby fumbled to turn off the emergency switch as the machine continued tearing through the limb's muscle, tendon, and bone.
A medical team there eventually had to cut her left leg off from above the knee, according to the airport's officials. She was then taken to Bhumibol Adulyadej Hospital in the capital for emergency treatment.
The medical team at the hospital said she was initially sent to Karun where she was told that they could not reattach her leg, but the woman requested to be transferred to another hospital to assess the possibility.
Airport authorities have ordered a probe to determine the cause of the accident.
A suitcase lying near 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.
In the meantime, the travelator automatic walkway has been closed as an engineering team conducts an inspection and security checks.
In a statement, the Don Mueang Airport said: 'The director of Don Mueang Airport and management has visited the patient to follow up on the treatment and received information from the medical team at Bhumibol Hospital that she is currently in the process of receiving treatment from the medical team.
'Don Mueang Airport is deeply saddened by the incident and ready to fully accept the responsibility as well as take care of the medical expenses and compensation.'
The airport said no flights were delayed due to the accident.
Don Mueang International Airport (DMK) serving Bangkok opened in 1914 but was replaced by the new Suvarnabhumi International Airport (BKK) on the outskirts of the city in 2006.
The walkway was manufactured by Japanese company Hitachi and was installed in 1996, the airport director said, adding that there is a plan to request for a budget to change to a newer model in 2025.
In 2019, a passenger's shoe was damaged after it was caught in the airport's moving walkway in Terminal 1. The airport released a statement afterward saying the faulty walkway was repaired and reopened in about an hour.
Tourist loses leg after getting caught in travelator at airport
WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT: The tourist was at Don Mueang International Airport when she tripped over her suitcase and got stuck on the travelator, which ripped through her limb.
Why ole girl hitting the 
, like losing a limb is like breaking a nail.
she stronger than me.
