Malaysian rescuers race to save Indian woman swallowed by 8-metre sinkhole in Kuala Lumpur
- More than 15 rescuers were mobilised after the ground gave way in a busy Kuala Lumpur street after heavy rainfall
Malaysian rescuers on Friday scrambled to save a 48-year-old Indian woman who was swallowed up by an 8-metre deep sinkhole that opened up under the pavement in Kuala Lumpur’s bustling Masjid India neighbourhood.
Straddled by the city’s two main rivers, Klang and Gombak, parts of the district experienced flash floods on Thursday afternoon after heavy rain caused the two rivers to overflow.
Operation commander Mohd Riduan Akhyar from the Kuala Lumpur Fire and Rescue Department said Special Tactical Operation and Rescue Team (STORM) and K-9 units had been deployed to rescue the victim.
“A 48-year-old Indian adult female victim fell into a hole and was buried underground,” Mohd Riduan said.
“Search and rescue operations are under way.”
The sinkhole opened on a busy pedestrian street between a shopping centre and the Masjid India mosque, near city hall and Malaysia’s Independence Square in central Kuala Lumpur.
Popular with shoppers, the area is especially busy on Fridays, when Muslims descend on the mosque and the open-air square in front of it for weekly Friday prayers.
More than 15 rescuers were mobilised on site after an early morning emergency call at 8.22am.
The woman was identified as a 48-year-old tourist from India who was reportedly walking through the area with her family when the ground gave way.
CCTV footage of the incident shows the victim falling into the hole, which almost swallowed another person who was sitting on a bench nearby as well.
Rescuers barricaded part of the area and used an excavator to clear debris in the sinkhole, but there was no immediate sign of the victim. Sulizmie declined to comment when asked about the possible condition of the woman, or the cause of the incident.
Kuala Lumpur police chief Rusdi Mohamad Isa said there was a strong water flow underground and that the woman may have been swept away.
Rusdi was quoted by the national Bernama news agency as saying the search required careful planning because it involved public infrastructure. For instance, if pipes or drains were shut down, it could cause flooding in the area, he said. “We can’t act recklessly,” he added.
Rusdi said 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.
The woman had come to Malaysia with her husband and several friends about two months ago for a holiday and they were due to return home Saturday, he said.
Additional reporting by Associated Press
