Decapitated at work. Alon Aneka, 49, dies as a Bangkok freight elevator drops from the second floor during parcel loading. A colleague, 25, survives with a broken leg. Police find a frayed, snapped cable despite a reported inspection days earlier.
A 49-year-old woman was decapitated in Bangkok on Saturday morning when a freight lift plunged from the second floor. Alon Aneka was loading parcels when a cable snapped, sending the machinery crashing down. Her 25-year-old colleague survived with a broken leg. CCTV captured the horrific accident at a Yan Nawa delivery company. However, engineers had reportedly inspected the two-tonne lift days earlier and found no defects. Police discovered the severed cable, visibly frayed at the break. Investigators are now probing the machinery, maintenance records and use of the goods-only lift. No charges have been announced.
A 49-year-old woman was decapitated in a horrific Bangkok workplace accident on Saturday morning when a freight elevator plunged from the second floor. The victim was helping a younger colleague load parcels when a lifting cable suddenly snapped.
Her 25-year-old male colleague survived the fall but suffered a broken leg. Police discovered the severed cable, with visible fraying at the point of failure. However, engineers reportedly inspected the elevator only days earlier and found nothing wrong.
CCTV footage captured the fatal sequence, while police launched an investigation into the machinery and its maintenance history.
Woman identified after fatal Bangkok freight lift plunge as injured colleague is rushed to hospital
The accident occurred at approximately 8 am on Saturday, October 10, 2026, at Bento Delivery in Bangkok’s Yan Nawa district.
The company operates from two adjoining commercial units in Soi Sathu Pradit 34, Bang Phong Phang. Police from Bang Phong Phang Police Station responded to an emergency report involving a collapsed freight elevator. In response, rescue volunteers from the Ruamkatanyu Foundation rushed to the premises alongside emergency personnel.
At the scene, officers discovered a woman dead at the bottom of the elevator shaft. Her head had been severed during the machinery’s sudden descent. Nearby, a younger male employee had survived the fall but suffered serious leg injuries. Rescue workers subsequently transported him to Hua Chiew Hospital for emergency treatment. Police then began examining the elevator and the circumstances surrounding the fatal accident.
The woman was later identified as Alon Aneka, aged 49, originally from Ubon Ratchathani province in northeastern Thailand. Earlier reports, including Amarin TV, initially gave her age as 47.
However, subsequent accounts published by Khaosod, Matichon and Manager Online identified her as 49. She was wearing a workplace polo shirt and black trousers when the accident occurred. Investigators found her body near the fallen freight elevator at the bottom of the shaft.
CCTV captures final moments as parcel trolley enters freight lift before cable snaps and woman dies
Meanwhile, her 25-year-old male colleague survived the elevator’s plunge but suffered a fractured right leg. Rescue workers took him to Hua Chiew Hospital, where he received medical treatment.
His name had not been disclosed in the available reports by Saturday evening. Nevertheless, police established that he was inside the elevator when the lifting cable failed. His colleague was still entering the machinery when disaster struck.
Investigators subsequently examined CCTV footage from the building’s second floor. The recording captured the employees moving parcels towards the freight elevator immediately before the fatal accident. The male employee was pushing a trolley loaded with boxes towards the lift entrance. He entered first, manoeuvring the trolley into position. Meanwhile, Alon remained outside, helping him push the loaded trolley through the opening.
As the woman stepped forward, part of her body remained outside the elevator. At that moment, the lifting cable suddenly failed. The machinery plunged towards the ground floor, carrying the male employee and loaded trolley downwards. However, Alon was caught at the entrance as the elevator dropped. The upper edge of the descending lift struck her head with devastating force. The impact severed her head, killing her at the scene.
Broken lifting cable found with visible fraying as police examine two-tonne goods elevator failure
Her body subsequently fell into the lower section of the elevator shaft. In contrast, her younger colleague remained inside the falling machinery and survived. Nevertheless, the violent descent left him with a fractured leg, requiring emergency hospital treatment.
The CCTV footage provided investigators with a detailed record of the employees’ movements. It also established their positions when the lifting cable failed and the elevator suddenly descended.
Police examining the machinery later discovered that the upper lifting cable had snapped. Furthermore, investigators found visible fraying at the point where the cable had broken. The elevator had a rated lifting capacity of two tonnes and was designed to transport merchandise between floors. Crucially, the equipment was intended for goods, not passengers. However, the CCTV footage showed the male employee entering the elevator while pushing a loaded parcel trolley.
Investigators have not established whether the elevator was carrying a load approaching its rated capacity. Neither have police confirmed that the equipment was overloaded when the cable failed. The precise weight of the trolley and parcels has not been disclosed.
Similarly, no findings have been announced concerning the condition of the lifting cable before Saturday’s accident. Police are examining the damaged equipment to establish the circumstances surrounding its failure.
Engineers reportedly cleared freight elevator days before fatal plunge as maintenance questions remain
Separately, the elevator’s recent engineering inspection has emerged as a significant element of the investigation. According to Amarin TV, engineers examined the freight elevator only a few days before the fatal accident.
The inspection reportedly found no abnormalities with the machinery. Yet the lifting cable snapped during Saturday morning’s parcel-loading operation, sending the elevator plunging between floors. The accident killed Alon instantly and left her younger colleague injured.
The identity of the engineers who conducted the reported inspection has not been established. Likewise, the company responsible for examining or maintaining the elevator has not been publicly identified.
The precise date of the inspection also remains unconfirmed. Additionally, investigators have not disclosed which components were examined or whether the lifting cable underwent a detailed assessment. The scope of the reported engineering inspection therefore remains unclear.
Police have not established whether the machinery had an emergency braking system capable of arresting an uncontrolled descent. Nor have investigators confirmed whether any such mechanism operated when the cable snapped. The elevator’s age, installation date and previous maintenance history have not been made public.
Equally, there has been no confirmed information concerning earlier mechanical problems or repairs. These details remain absent from the reports available on Saturday evening.
Police examine use of goods-only elevator as investigators establish workers’ movements before fall
The freight elevator was designed to carry goods between the building’s two floors. However, CCTV footage showed the male employee entering the machinery while manoeuvring the loaded trolley. Alon was also stepping inside when the cable failed.
Investigators have not established whether employees routinely travelled in the elevator during loading operations. Neither have they confirmed what instructions workers received concerning its use.
There has been no finding that either employee breached workplace instructions or safety procedures. Equally, police have not established whether the company permitted workers to enter the freight elevator.
The available reports do not identify any specific operating rule governing the machinery. Nevertheless, the CCTV footage clearly documents the circumstances in which both employees approached the lift. The male worker entered first, while Alon remained at the entrance to assist.
The investigation is being handled by Bang Phong Phang Police Station. Police Lieutenant Phatsaruang Kaewket, a deputy investigation inspector, was identified as the officer responsible for the case.
Following the emergency report, police attended the premises alongside rescue volunteers and forensic personnel. Medical examiners from Chulalongkorn Hospital also arrived to examine the fatality. Officers subsequently began collecting evidence from the elevator shaft and surrounding workplace.
Forensic teams examine broken lift and CCTV evidence as victim is sent for post-mortem examination
Forensic investigators examined the damaged lifting mechanism, broken cable and area where Alon’s body was discovered. In parallel, police reviewed security camera footage showing the employees loading parcels before the elevator collapsed.
The recording established the sequence of events immediately before the fatal accident. At the same time, specialists examined the machinery to determine how the cable failed. The damaged cable and lift mechanism are central to the continuing investigation.
Following the examination at the scene, Alon’s body was transferred to Chulalongkorn Hospital’s forensic medicine institute. A post-mortem examination forms part of the official investigation into her death. Meanwhile, the injured male employee was receiving treatment at Hua Chiew Hospital. His reported injuries included a fractured right leg. However, no further medical update had been disclosed by Saturday evening.
Police had also not confirmed whether investigators had formally questioned the surviving employee. He was inside the elevator when the lifting cable snapped and the machinery plunged.
Consequently, his account could provide further information about the lift’s operation immediately before the accident. Investigators also have the CCTV recording and damaged equipment available for examination. Together, these constitute the principal evidence identified in the reports so far.
No charges announced as police investigate cable failure and await answers on recent lift inspection
No criminal charges had been announced in connection with Alon’s death by Saturday evening. Furthermore, police had not identified any individual or company as responsible for the accident.
There has been no formal finding that the recent engineering inspection was improperly conducted. Neither has any evidence been confirmed establishing that the machinery was inadequately maintained. The precise mechanical cause of the cable failure remains undetermined.
Similarly, police have not established whether the accident resulted from a mechanical defect or another factor. The reported inspection remains significant because engineers apparently found no abnormalities only days before the fatal failure.
However, the scope and findings of that examination have not been independently established in the available reports. Investigators are therefore examining the machinery and its operating system before determining whether legal proceedings are warranted.
Separately, it remained unclear whether the Labour Ministry had opened an independent workplace investigation. No confirmation had emerged of an examination by the Department of Labour Protection and Welfare. The reports also did not identify the elevator manufacturer or original installation contractor. Likewise, the company responsible for routine servicing had not been named. Details of previous maintenance work and inspection records were unavailable.
Fatal freight lift plunge leaves woman dead and colleague injured as police continue machinery probe
By Saturday evening, the central facts had emerged through police findings, forensic examination and CCTV evidence. Alon Aneka, 49, was killed while helping a colleague load parcels into a freight elevator.
The lifting cable snapped as she stepped inside, sending the machinery plunging from the second floor. Its upper edge struck her head, causing fatal injuries. Meanwhile, her 25-year-old colleague survived the fall but suffered a broken leg.
Police subsequently discovered the broken lifting cable, including visible fraying at the point of failure. The elevator was rated to carry two tonnes of goods but was not intended for passenger transport. Nevertheless, an employee was inside the machinery when it fell. The fatal accident occurred only days after engineers reportedly inspected the equipment and found no defects.
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Investigators are continuing their examination of the elevator, CCTV footage and maintenance history. However, no charges have been announced, and the precise cause of the cable failure remains unknown.
The reported recent inspection is also under scrutiny as police establish the circumstances surrounding the machinery’s collapse. The investigation continues following the death of Alon Aneka at Bento Delivery in Soi Sathu Pradit 34 on Saturday morning.
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