THE search for the Indian woman who fell into a sinkhole along Jalan Masjid India in Kuala Lumpur on Friday resumed this morning with authorities concentrating their efforts on the six manholes in the area.
Rescuers were confident that the victim, Vijayaletchumy, 48, from Kuppam in Andhra Pradesh, India, was trapped in the area.
IWK chief executive officer Narendran Maniam had earlier said each manhole along the sewerage line will be searched.
“It’s possible that the victim got stuck in an inter-pump station,” he had said, adding that a human body could be washed away along the 1.5m-wide sewer pipe with a 3m diameter.
The search yesterday by six Fire and Rescue Department Scuba Unit members focused on the six sewer manholes around the location of the sinkhole along the sewer line that ends at the Indah Water Konsortium (IWK) Pantai Dalam treatment plant.
The six manholes are located in front of Wisma Yakin, Jalan Melayu, at the junction of Jalan Melayu, Dataran Merdeka, Bank Pertanian near Lebuh Pasar and Jalan Kinabalu.
Search team members faced various challenges yesterday, encountering narrow conditions, swift currents and gaseous fumes in the manhole and sewer tunnels, which heightened risks to them.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Dr Zaliha Mustafa, who visited the location yesterday, said if necessary, the search may be expanded to other areas, including ponds in Pantai Dalam.
“If the victim is still not found, we will regroup and decide on the next steps. However, we cannot yet determine how long the rescue operation will take,” she had said.
Dang Wangi district police chief Sulizmie Affendy Sulaiman advised traders in Jalan Masjid India to shut their businesses temporarily to avoid the risk of being exposed to any toxic fumes that might be emitted from the manholes during the operation.
Kuala Lumpur City Hall is continuing its investigation into the soil structure in the area to obtain detailed findings and additional information to assist with the search.
Yesterday, after nearly 17 hours of searching, rescuers found only a pair of slippers belonging to the victim.
The victim was walking with her family in front of the Malayan Mansion on Jalan Masjid India when she fell into a sinkhole that had suddenly opened beneath her at 8.20am on Friday. – August 25, 2024.
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