MANILA, Philippines – A man suffered serious injuries after his foot got caught in the door of a moving train at the Gil Puyat station of LRT-1, authorities said.
LRT-1 Operations Director Rod Bulario said in an interview with Rappler that at around 5:30 am on Monday, November 6, 48-year-old Julieto Eco's foot got caught in the door of the train as he tried to get on the coach after the warning buzzer sounded off.
Bulario said since it was a first generation train, it did not recognize the passenger's foot as an obstruction to stop and continued to move. He said that doors of first generation trains do not automatically open for objects that are less than 4 inches.
Eco was dragged approximately 50 meters before the train stopped, resulting in serious injuries to the passenger. According to a GMA News report, the victim sustained multiple injuries on his face and had internal bleeding in the brain, and was rushed to the ICU.
"We paid all the expenses and we are taking good care of him," Bulario told Rappler in a phone interview.
Bulario said it was not the first time such an accident happened because some commuters ignore warnings and safety instructions.
To prevent similar incidents in the future, Bulario said LRT1 management has been replaying announcements to remind commuters of safety signages and measures.
They also reminded the train personnel in the platform and train driver to be more alert and active in reminding the commuters to observe safety precautions.
Bulario said LRT1 is waiting for the government to replace the old first generation trains with newer trains. They expect 120 new trains by 2020. – Rappler.com