Andhra Pradesh woman falls into sinkhole in Malaysia’s Kuala Lumpur, search operation underway

The woman has been identified as one Vijaya Lakshmi Gali.

“After flushing through portions of drain system, search is being augmented with specialised techniques including high pressure water jets to remove obstacles, remote cameras and ground penetrating radars to map inaccessible areas,” High Commission of India, Kuala Lumpur said.

“@hcikl is in close contact with the relevant agencies engaged in the search efforts as the search has entered its fifth day. @hcikl officers are also in touch with the family members to extend continued support,” it added.

The sinkhole, located in Dang Wangi area, which the woman fell into was 8-meter-deep. The woman had come to Malaysia with her husband and several friends about two months ago for a vacation and they were due to return home Saturday, local police chief Sulizmie Affendy Sulaiman told AP. Sulaiman added witnesses saw the paved walkway suddenly collapse under her while she was walking.

Kuala Lumpur police chief Rusdi Mohamad Isa was quoted as saying by Bernama news agency that a soil slip was reported last year in the same location where the sinkhole appeared but that it was fixed. He said businesses in the area have been advised to close temporarily for safety reasons.

Meanwhile, The Strait Times reported that a second sinkhole has appeared in Jalan Masjid India – merely 50 metre away from where the ground opened up on August 23. The latest collapse happened at around 2:30 am on August 28 after a storm the last night. The entire street has been cordoned off for vehicular movement and public.