Thai woman rescued after falling into 2m-deep manhole

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Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

A harrowing ordeal unfolded in Thailand after a 54-year-old woman fell into a drainage manhole.

The incident occurred on 2 September in Samut Sakhon’s city centre when Wiparat Yonnawa stepped on a seemingly secure concrete cover, only to see it collapse under her feet, sending her two metres below ground into waist-deep water.

Trapped for nearly half an hour, Ms Wiparat’s desperate situation only came to an end when a passerby spotted her and alerted her daughter and authorities.

The incident came just days after a similar tragedy in Malaysia, where an Indian tourist, Vijaya Lakshmi Gali, 48, vanished into an 8m-deep sinkhole on 23 August while walking to a temple in Kuala Lumpur. Despite a nine-day search and rescue operation, authorities were unable to locate her.

Ms Wiparat’s daughter told Thaiger that she was unaware of the accident till a good Samaritan rang her doorbell to alert her. She rushed to the scene and sought assistance from a hospital rescue team.

Recounting her traumatic experience, Ms Wiparat told English daily The Nation that she was out shopping and had walked over the manhole cover, which is near her home, without incident only moments before it gave way beneath her feet.

Ms Wiparat reported feeling pain, helplessness, and fear of drowning. She said that if the water level had been higher, her situation could have been worse.

Arriving at the scene, the rescuers found Ms Wiparat submerged in the wastewater, sitting in a manhole about one metre in diameter and two metres deep.

She was unable to stand or climb out on her own due to extreme fatigue and shock, reported Thaiger. One rescuer entered the manhole and positioned a chair for Wiparat to sit on. A rope was secured to the chair, allowing the rescue team to safely pull Ms Wiparat out of the pit.

Ms Wiparat was taken to a local hospital for treatment of bruises and scratches. Her bruises were severe but did not result in internal bleeding, reports said.

Ms Wiparat, who was visited in hospital by the deputy mayor of Samut Sakhon, called on the city’s authorities to take measures to prevent similar accidents in the future.

In an interview with The Nation, she emphasised the potential severity of such incidents. "If a child had fallen in, they may not have survived. Proper signs or barriers should be put in place if there is any work being done that may pose a danger to the public."

Sakchai Nimitpanya, the deputy mayor, suspected that municipal officials failed to secure the manhole cover properly after inspection or left it open for garbage removal. Municipal staff had been tasked with inspecting drainage manholes in preparation for high tide in the province, located along the Gulf of Thailand coast.