THE search and rescue operation for an Indian tourist, who fell into an 8m-deep sinkhole in Jalan Masjid India last Friday, entered its seventh day today.
Early this morning, two divers from the Fire and Rescue Department descended into the sinkhole after detecting an obstruction lodged between the sinkhole and the second sewerage chamber, about 80m away.
According to Bernama, the divers entered the sinkhole at 3.06am in hopes of finding Vijayaletchumy, 48,
Deputy director-general of operations Ahmad Izram Osman said K9 unit dogs, Denti and Frankie, detected the obstruction, prompting further investigation along with camera surveillance.
“Our K9 team’s sniffing strongly indicates that area, so we will focus our search there. The cameras also suggest an obstruction, possibly the victim or another object trapped in that location,” he said at the scene.
Sewage was pumped out to facilitate the divers’ movement from the department’s water rescue team. The operation took place early in the day when the sewage water level was expected to be below 1m, compared to the usual 1.5m, though strong water flow still posed a risk to the divers.
Less than half an hour later, the divers were pulled up using ropes by their team members and then decontaminated and cleaned. The strong undercurrents in the sewage tunnel prevented them from reaching the suspected location of the obstruction, Bernama reported.
As of 4.30am, the department had not issued an official statement to the media, who had been waiting since midnight for updates on the search efforts. The initial plan was to inspect a small gap between the sewerage chamber wall and the sewage pipe, where an object might be lodged.
Denti and Frankie were set to be redeployed alongside the camera and divers once the sewage water recedes further.
Meanwhile, Kuala Lumpur City Hall reported efforts to locate the victim using ground-penetrating radar by the Minerals and Geoscience Department are ongoing.
DBKL said the stretch of road from the police post in Jalan Masjid India to Semua House is closed to facilitate the operation. – August 29, 2024.
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