NAN: A deputy mayor was injured on Saturday after being struck by a manlift vehicle that suddenly lurched backwards, causing panic among visitors to a tourism fair.
Arisa Boonsom, deputy mayor of Muang municipality, was posing for photographs at Khuang Muang Nan, the venue for the event, when the incident occurred in full view of many visitors.
The vehicle, similar to those used by power and telephone repair crews, had been brought to the site to lift couples into the air to hang paper hearts on trees.
The impact from the moving vehicle sent the deputy mayor to the ground and she screamed with pain as she became trapped beneath the vehicle. Chaos erupted as crowds rushed forward in an attempt to help her.
Nan governor Paisarn Wimolrat and Muang municipality mayor Surapol Thiansoot were among those who came to her aid.
Ms Arisa suffered injuries to her face and two broken ribs. She was taken to Nan Hospital, where she remains in stable condition after treatment.
The three-day fair, which lasts until tomorrow, is held every winter in the northern province. This year's theme was "Whisper of Love in Nan in the Cold Season".
Photos by Rarinthorn Petcharoen
Arisa Boonsom is given first aid after being struck by a manlift vehicle at a tourism fair on Saturday.