KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 23 (Bernama) -- Journalists from various media outlets descended on Jalan Masjid India here today after an Indian tourist fell into a sinkhole that opened at her feet as she was walking along Jalan Masjid India early this morning.
As of midnight, the search and rescue operation for the woman known as Vijayaletchumy, 48, from Kuppam, Andhra Pradesh, India had been going on for 16 hours, yet there were no positive signs even though various methods and assets were used.
The Kuala Lumpur Fire and Rescue Department was alerted to the incident at 8.22 am and 15 firefighters with two fire engines from the Titiwangsa and Hang Tuah fire and rescue stations rushed to the incident location in front of Malayan Mansion.
According to the authorities, the victim was scheduled to return home with her family tomorrow after spending two months in Malaysia as a tourist.
Initial search and rescue efforts involved the Operations, Tactical and Rescue Special Team with the Fire Department’s K9 Unit’s tracking dogs and a crane belonging to Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) was used at 11.40 am to lift a concrete bench that also fell into the sinkhole, which rescuers feared had crushed the victim.
A firefighter and DBKL staff were also lowered into the eight-metre hole using the crane but a manual search failed to locate the victim, so excavators were used to dig up the area in an effort to expand the search.
The Fire and Rescue Department then added more personnel to the search due to the expanded area.
During the day, Dang Wangi district police chief ACP Sulizmie Affendy Sulaiman announced that the victim had been walking towards Lebuh Ampang and the police would be studying CCTV footage and taking statements from witnesses at the scene.
Later on, Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Rusdi Mohd Isa shared that the search would be conducted carefully in stages and as Indah Water Konsortium (IWK) had their own plan and there were the currents were fast flowing in the area, while Public Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi urged the public to remain calm and to follow instructions issued by the authorities to enable work to be carried out properly.
As night fell, the search and rescue operation entered a new phase when two divers entered the sewer chamber to look for the victim.
Fire and Rescue Department Firefighting and Rescue Operations Division director Nordin Pauzi informed the media that the focus of the search at night had shifted towards the sewer line, in contrast to the day’s efforts at the area where the victim was reported to have fallen.
Finally, Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Rusdi Mohd Isa announced that the operation was suspended at 12.30 am and would resume at 9 am tomorrow.
-- BERNAMA
