Strong current hampering efforts to rescue woman who fell into sinkhole in KL

The woman, an Indian national, was seen walking on the pavement in Jalan Masjid India, near Malayan Mansion, on Aug 23 when a portion of it caved in.

Witnesses told police she disappeared immediately after falling into the sinkhole.

Commissioner Rusdi Mohd Isa, Kuala Lumpur’s police chief, told reporters at the scene the woman could have been swept away by a strong underground current.

“I was informed that there is a strong water flow reaching the end over there (the road), and we’ve covered (searched) until the end, but we haven’t found anything,” he said.

He said rescuers have been advised to proceed with caution, saying “Any sort of service disruption can cause flooding, so we have to do everything in stages”.

“We also have to look at the gas pipe (underneath), so we cannot just enter. We are praying by night we can find the victim, hopefully alive,” he said.

The woman was with her husband and other women when the accident happened.

They had been in Malaysia for nearly two months and planned to fly back to India on Aug 24.

Footage from a security camera showed that only the woman fell into the sinkhole.

The police chief said rescue efforts initially focused on the location where the woman fell.

Rescuers have since shifted their focus to a chamber that has a strong current where the victim was believed to be stuck.

Mr Rusdi said a sinkhole was found earlier near the spot where the woman fell, but that had supposedly been already repaired.

“We have provided an officer who speaks Tamil, and we are updating them (the family) from time to time. We will inform the embassy to extend their visas,” he said.

“We need to extend it until the victim is found, so (the family) needs to stay here.

“I believe that with the cooperation of all parties, we will be able to find the victim, and we pray for her safety,” he said.

The Straits Times

Asia News Network