According to Thai Examiner, Thai authorities are investigating a fatal freight elevator accident that occurred on October 10 at a delivery company in Bangkok. The cable snapped, causing the elevator to fall from the second floor and strike a 49-year-old female employee, decapitating the victim. A 25-year-old male colleague was hospitalized with a broken leg.
Police discovered the cable had snapped, with signs of fraying, despite the equipment having been inspected just days earlier.
Security camera footage shows two people pushing a cart loaded with packages into the elevator, which has a rated capacity of two tons. The male employee was already inside the elevator, and as the woman was stepping in, the cable suddenly snapped, causing the elevator to plunge from the second floor to the ground floor.
Because part of her body was still outside, the woman became trapped at the elevator doorway. The upper edge of the falling elevator struck her head, decapitating the victim and killing her instantly.
The male colleague survived but suffered a broken leg and required hospitalization for treatment.
The equipment was designed to carry goods only, not people. Police discovered the cable had snapped, with the cable strands showing clear signs of fraying at the break point. However, no conclusion has been reached regarding whether the elevator was overloaded at the time of the accident.
Notably, initial information indicates that technicians had inspected the elevator just days before the accident and found no abnormalities.
The specific inspection date, the identity of the person who conducted it, and the unit responsible for inspection and maintenance have not been disclosed. The scope of the inspection also remains unclear, including whether the lifting cable was assessed in detail.
Engineers had inspected the elevator “just days earlier” and found no damage.
Police have not yet determined whether the equipment had a safety mechanism capable of stopping the elevator during an uncontrolled descent, or whether such a mechanism, if it existed, functioned when the cable snapped. Information about the manufacturer, installation date, and maintenance and repair history has also not been made public.
Investigators are examining the equipment, operating system, camera footage, and inspection and maintenance records, while also clarifying how the elevator was used at the facility. The specific cause of the lifting cable snapping and the responsibility of the parties involved are still under investigation.
