Samut Sakhon native survives terrifying fall down manhole
Incident prompts call for improved safety measures after woman left trapped for over 30 minutes before being pulled out
A 54-year-old woman narrowly escaped serious injury after falling into a 2-metre-deep drainage manhole in the heart of Samut Sakhon’s main city on Monday afternoon.
The incident occurred when Wiparat Yonnawa stepped on a concrete cover over the manhole, which unexpectedly gave way and sent her flying 2 metres below ground into about a metre of water. She remained trapped there for nearly half an hour until a passerby finally noticed her and called for help.
Recounting her terrifying experience, Wiparat said she had gone out to shop and the cover of the manhole, which is close to her home, was fine. However, on her way back, it gave way landing her in a state of pain, helplessness and fear of drowning. She said if the water had been any higher, she may not have survived.
Wiparat was finally pulled out of the ditch and taken to hospital, where she was treated for bruises and scratches. Doctors said that though the bruises were severe, there was no internal bleeding. However, she is still concerned about potential long-term effects due to her pre-existing health conditions.
After the accident, Samut Sakhon’s deputy mayor visited her in hospital and though she was contacted by the municipality later, there had been no talk of compensation as of press time.
Wiparat urged the authorities to take preventive measures to avoid similar accidents in the future, saying “if a child had fallen in, they may not have survived. Proper signs or barriers or barriers should be put in place if there is any work being done that may pose a danger to the public”.
Meanwhile, deputy mayor Sakchai Nimitpanya said that initial inquiry shows that municipality staff were tasked with inspecting all drainage manholes in preparation of high tide. The province lies along the coast of the Gulf of Thailand.
He said he believes the officials may not have securely closed the manhole cover after inspection or left it ajar to allow the removal of garbage.
The municipality has accepted responsibility for the oversight and paid for the woman’s treatment. It has also ordered an immediate inspection of all manhole covers in the area to ensure they are properly secured and in good condition, along with strict instructions to prevent a recurrence of such an incident.
