Second day of rescue efforts ends without new clues

KUALA LUMPUR: The second day of the search and rescue (SAR) operation to find an Indian tourist who fell into a sinkhole that opened up at her feet along Jalan Masjid India ended with no new leads.

The search resumed at 10:30 a.m., with six members of the Fire and Rescue Service's diving unit focusing on the six sewage manholes surrounding the site of the sinkhole along the sewage pipeline that terminates at the Indah Water Consortium's (IWK) Pantai Dalam Wastewater Treatment Plant.

The six manholes are located in front of Wisma Yakin, Jalan Melayu, at the intersection of Jalan Melayu, Dataran Merdeka, Bank Pertanian near Lebuh Pasar and Jalan Kinabalu.

The members of the search team faced numerous challenges today: they had to work in confined spaces, encounter strong currents and gaseous vapors in the shaft and sewage tunnels, which posed an increased risk for them.

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Sulizmie Affendy Sulaiman, police chief of Dang Wangi district, announced during a press conference last night that search and rescue operations were suspended at 7pm and will resume tomorrow.

He added that the search would focus on the six manhole covers today as they were convinced that the victim was trapped in that area.

Sulizmie Addendy also advised traders in Jalan Masjid India to temporarily close their shops to protect themselves from the toxic fumes that could escape from the sewer manholes during the work.

Meanwhile, the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) is continuing its survey of the soil structure in the area to obtain detailed insights and additional information to assist the search.

The missing victim, a 48-year-old woman named Vijayaletchumy, fell into a sinkhole that had formed at her feet in Jalan Masjid India while she was reportedly walking to a nearby temple to have breakfast.

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