An airport worker was crushed to death beneath a glass elevator in front of horrified passengers in Thailand.
Mechanic Wisatrat Tangsoh, 22, was working at the bottom of the shaft when the two-tonne glass enclosure collapsed on him yesterday afternoon.
Shocked passengers heard screams of pain as frantic staff secured the area at the departure terminal at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok.
His colleagues from Asian Elevator company rushed to the scene and found Wisatrat’s body in a pool of blood on the concrete base of the elevator shaft.
He was reportedly trying to retrieve a wrench from the base when the elevator began to slowly descend on him.
But the 22-year-old faced a final moment of horror when he failed to escape in time and those above were unable to stop the lift.
Mechanic Wisatrat Tangsoh, 22 (pictured), was working at the bottom of the shaft when the two-tonne glass cabin crashed on top of him yesterday afternoon.
Doctors work at the base of the elevator shaft in the departure terminal at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok
Medics arrived and the worker was pronounced dead at the scene. He had suffered a serious head injury due to the force of the lift.
The area was cordoned off to the public and Mr Wisatrat’s body was taken to Chakri Naruebodindra Medical Institute for a post-mortem.
However, airport managers blamed the worker.
In a statement, Suvarnabhumi International Airport said: ‘From preliminary investigation it was found that the deceased did not follow safety procedures, which led to the accident that resulted in his death.
‘Airports of Thailand (AOT) has coordinated with medical and police officers to inspect the scene with forensic experts. AOT has temporarily blocked off the area.
‘We would like to confirm that the accident was not caused by a malfunction of the elevator in the area.
The area was cordoned off to the public and Mr Wisatrat’s body was taken to Chakri Naruebodindra Medical Institute for a post-mortem.
“The AOT would like to express its condolences to the family of the deceased. We will fully cooperate in the investigation to find the cause of the accident.”
Thailand Airports had a market capitalization of US$31 billion in 2018, making it the world’s richest airport operator, according to Bloomberg data.
However, health and safety incidents have occurred previously at airports operated by state-owned companies.
In September 2023, a passenger had his leg amputated due to a faulty conveyor belt at the city’s sister facility, Don Mueang International Airport.
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