Sinkhole incident: No new leads 72 hours after search began

KUALA LUMPUR: There has been no new leads uncovered by the search and rescue operation (SAR) set up to locate Indian tourist Vijayaletchumy, 48, who fell into a sinkhole that opened under her feet along Jalan Masjid India on Friday, even after 72 hours.

AI Brief

The 104-member SAR team searched five sewer manholes without success and decided to use a flushing technique due to slow currents likely caused by blockages.
PM Anwar Ibrahim and police assured that the search would continue without a deadline until the victim is found, with operations ongoing.
Authorities, including Kuala Lumpur's mayor, have assured that the city is safe and have established a task force to study the situation.

The SAR team began yesterday's search at 9.30 am with 104 members from various security agencies and authorities but failed to produce any results after they searched through five of six Indah Water Konsortium sewer manholes again today.

A meeting was then held by the agencies, including the Fire and Rescue Department, the Civil Defence Force, the police, the Kuala Lumpur City Hall and IWK, chaired by Kuala Lumpur mayor Datuk Seri Dr Maimunah Mohd Shariff, where they decided on using the flushing technique at the fifth and sixth manholes, near Bank Pertanian Lebuh Pasar Besar and Kinabalu Roundabout after finding that the current at the two manholes was rather slow, possibly caused by blockage or debris.

The operation, coordinated by an IWK team, began last night and is still currently ongoing.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who has been following the progress of the operation, indicated yesterday that the search for the victim would be continued, while Dangi Wangi district police chief ACP Sulizmie Affendy Sulaiman also made similar assurances during a media conference this evening, stating that the SAR team did not place any deadline on the search, which will continue till the victim is found.

Meanwhile, residents at the 160-unit Malayan Mansion flats have voiced concern over their safety as the sinkhole that occurred on Friday was not more than 50 metres away, and claimed that the heavy rain in the past few days might affect soil structure in the area.

Mainmunah, however, has provided assurances that Kuala Lumpur, including Jalan Masjid India, is safe and there is no concrete evidence to support online claims that a giant sinkhole might potentially occur in the city at any moment.

The authorities have also taken steps to establish a task force made of related agencies, including the Geology Department and the Public Works Department to study the situation.

-- BERNAMA