A 54-year-old woman fell into a 2m-deep manhole in Thailand on Sep. 2 afternoon and remained trapped inside for nearly half an hour until a passer-by noticed her and called for help.

She escaped serious injury.

What happened

Wiparat Yonnawa stepped on a concrete cover over the manhole which gave way in Samut Sakhon city, The Nation reported.

The province lies along the coast of the Gulf of Thailand.

Wiparat said she had gone out to shop for groceries, which is near her home.

The manhole cover appeared normal.

On her way back, it gave way when she stepped on it, she told ThaiRath.

She fell into about 1m-deep water.

Stuck inside for about 30 minutes

Wiparat said she screamed for help but no one heard her.

She remained there for about 30 minutes until a passer-by noticed her.

She recalled that many thoughts went through her head and that she feared she might die there.

If the water level had been any higher, she may not have survived, she said.

Rescued

One rescuer jumped into the manhole and a chair was lowered for Wiparat to sit on, Thaiger reported.

The rescuers then tied a rope to the chair and pulled both it and Wiparat out of the hole.

No major injuries

She was taken to hospital, where she was treated for bruises and scratches.

There was no internal bleeding.

There was no talk of compensation as of press time, however the municipality has accepted responsibility for the oversight and paid for Wiparat’s treatment.

It was believed that staff may not have securely closed the manhole cover after inspection or left it ajar to allow for the removal of garbage.

All manhole covers are to be inspected to ensure they are properly secured and in good condition.

Top photos via 34/8ข่าวสาคร