Family of fatal fall victim threatens legal action

The victim, identified only as “Uncle Kamthon”, was crossing the road when he fell into the hole, which was covered only by an old wooden hatch.

The hole is located at a traffic island below the tracks of the Yellow Line monorail and close to the mouth of Soi Lat Phrao 49.

The Metropolitan Electricity Authority (MEA) admitted that the hole is part of its underground electrical conduit network.

Kamthon’s family on Saturday reclaimed his body at the Police General Hospital’s Institute of Forensic Medicine for his funeral at That Thong Temple.

His brother, Kampol, said on Saturday that the family would take legal action against all those responsible for the loss of Kamthon’s life.

He said Kamthon’s death has distressed the entire family, as the deceased had taken care of their two elder sisters. “Now I have to do the job in his place and life will be more difficult for our family. I have my work to do, and there are many lives under my care.”

Kampol said with a shaking voice that he had picked up his late brother every weekend to dine together. “He is no more now. Money can’t compensate for his death and our loss, no matter how much it is.”

He said it was the first time that Kamthon had crossed the road at the spot where the hole is located, which was “absolutely misfortune” for him.

Kampol said on Saturday that the MEA had yet to offer any formal apology to his family or inform them of any compensation.

He also criticised construction contractors involved for failing to secure the hole’s opening after its steel cover was stolen. He said the temporary wood cover would never withstand a weight of 10 kilogrammes.

“After the incident, they covered the opening with a concrete slab, which means they have proper material for the job but they didn’t do it earlier,” Kampol said.

“This incident should serve as a lesson for the MEA, which has to come out and show its responsibility,” he said.