Three days after the grand opening of the 15-billion-baht Siam Paragon, Bangkok's newest luxury shopping centre was hit by a tragic accident when a 10-year-old girl fell five metres through a gap on the main floor to the floor below. Matarika Kijjapathoomsak, or ``Nong Meena'', visited Siam Paragon with her family on Monday night. While playing around a water garden on the main floor, the girl accidentally slipped through a space between a water garden and an elevator, dropping to the ground floor.

Nong Meena was unconscious following the accident. She had sustained severe facial injuries, including shattered facial bones and a broken jaw, a broken right leg and other injuries.

The girl was admitted to the Police General Hospital and later transferred to Bumrungrad Hospital at the insistence of Siam Paragon Development Co executives.

Karoon Mekanontchai, director of Bumrungrad Hospital, said Nong Meena's condition has improved, but she will need to be closely observed in the intensive care unit for a few more days.

A hospital medical team spent more than five hours tending to her injuries. Fortunately, X-rays confirmed the little girl did not suffer brain injury.

``We are quite satisfied with her condition after the jaw surgery. She can talk with her parents now. However, we are still concerned about her neck bone injury and possible infections,'' said Dr Karoon.

He said Siam Paragon Development Co told the hospital they would be responsible for the medical costs.

A security guard who witnessed the accident said the girl was running and jumping around the water garden on the main floor before she fell.

``Siam Paragon has a well-run safety operation. But, in this case, we couldn't help because the security guards were standing too far from the group. I think the girl's parents should tell their daughter not to play near such a risky area,'' said the guard, who declined to be named.

A visit by the Bangkok Post to the accident scene yesterday found no warning signs had been put up to tell visitors of the possible danger posed by the gap in the floor that Nong Meena slipped through.

Only a line of plant pots were placed there as a temporary barrier to prevent shoppers from slipping into the three-metre-wide gap.

Siam Paragon claims to be the largest luxury mall in Asia, ahead of Hong Kong's Pacific Place and several high-end shops in Singapore. It expects to draw 100,000 visitors a day.

Wouldn't the UKs HSE have a field day in Thailand?
I am constantly amazed at the risks you find in Thai malls. Especially at the top of most escalators you will find a nice gap through which a toddler could plunge all the way to the ground floor.