Victim of BTS escalator crush requires emergency surgery, not a ‘minor injury’ as reported

A victim of the escalator crush which occurred at BTS Surasak Station in Bangkok on Saturday night has spoken out about her injuries, which she says were misreported. The victim said she and other injured people are waiting to hear whether the BTS will be held responsible or will provide compensation.

Thai news widely reported that 27 people suffered “minor injuries” when a group of people fell down the escalator at the busy station. However, a 17 year old girl was rushed to hospital for emergency surgery for her leg, which was “torn” in the incident.

The victim posted gruesome photos of her leg on social media, which was sewn up by doctors after her flesh was torn in several places until the bone was exposed.

The doctor says she will not be able to walk for three months and will have to take at least one month off school while she recovers. She will remain in the hospital for at least two to three more days.

The victim said that the hospital treatment will cost hundreds of thousands of baht. On Facebook, she said that she, and about 20 others injured in the incident, are waiting to hear if the BTS will be held responsible for the incident or if they plan to help victims in any way.

A Twitter video shows a crowd of people cramming into Surasak BTS Station on Saturday night during heavy rain. Suddenly, a large group of people can be seen falling down the escalator.

Rescuers from Ruam Katanyu Foundation said that the escalator malfunctioned, but police say the accident was caused by someone slipping and falling down the stairs.

The victim added that people couldn’t see how busy the escalator was as they entered the station. She said there was no staff present to control the crowd or to close the escalator.

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— ummm (@wwwinter9) August 20, 2022