Written by Muhammad Shah Daniel
Edited by Farah Liyana
Rescue personnel entering a deep sinkhole after receiving reports that a woman has fallen into it | Source: Fire and Rescue Department of Malaysia
KUALA LUMPUR, 28th August 2024: A search and rescue operation is underway for 48-year-old Vijayalaksmi, a tourist from India, who fell into an eight-meter-deep sinkhole near Malayan Mansion on the morning of 23 August 2024. The incident occurred at 8:22 AM when the ground suddenly gave way beneath her.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Dr Zaliha Mustafa (centre) looks at the area where an Indian tourist fell into a sinkhole along Jalan Masjid India | Source: Bernama News pic
The 48-year-old Indian national is believed to still be trapped in the sinkhole. She was walking on a pavement when it suddenly caved in on Friday morning, prompting a search and rescue operation. The search was halted on Saturday evening due to a lack of new leads but resumed on Sunday morning.
Rescuers find only slippers after searching 17 hours for sinkhole victim | Azneal Ishak, MalaysiaKini
After nearly 17 hours of searching, rescuers found only a pair of slippers belonging to the Indian tourist who fell into the sinkhole on August 23. The slippers were discovered floating in the excavated area that morning, according to Kuala Lumpur police chief Rusdi Mohd Isa.
The sinkhole on Jalan Masjid India that caused a woman to fall and go missing today is not the first incident, as it was reported to have occurred at the same location last year | Source: Bernama News pic
Kuala Lumpur police chief Rusdi Mohd Isa revealed that the area had experienced a similar collapse before, though it had been repaired since then. "We have CCTV footage clearly showing how the victim fell into the sinkhole, and it only involved one person," he said during a press conference at the scene on 23 August 2024.
The sinkhole incident was caused by geographical and soil structure factors, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof | Source: The Star
Earlier, authorities inspected all six manholes from Jalan Masjid India, where the incident occurred, to a sewage pond in Pantai Dalam. A Kuala Lumpur Fire and Rescue Department official reported that while the water level in the sewerage system was relatively low, it was flowing rapidly. The official added that they are awaiting a full report from the relevant agencies, expected after the operation is completed, according to The Star. —TBC
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