‘There’s something behind the debris’: Malaysia sinkhole rescuers blast away blockages

Rescuers are blasting Kuala Lumpur’s sewer clogs with high-powered water jets in a bid to locate the Indian tourist who vanished last week

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Malaysian rescuers inspect the site where a woman fell into an eight-meter deep sinkhole in Kuala Lumpur on Friday. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 1:56pm, 27 Aug 2024Updated: 2:15pm, 27 Aug 2024

High-powered water jets are being used to break up and flush out debris blocking access to the underground sewers of Malaysia’s capital, as the search continues for an Indian tourist who was swallowed by a sinkhole last week.

Vijaya Lakshmi Gali, 48, vanished on Friday morning after a sinkhole suddenly opened beneath her feet as she walked along the pavement in Kuala Lumpur’s Masjid India district. The 8-metre deep chasm has since become the epicentre of an ongoing search and rescue operation.

“We feel there is something behind the heavy debris,” said Sulizmie Affendy Sulaiman, the local police official overseeing the incident. Rocks, concrete fragments, and other detritus swept into the sewers by powerful currents have obstructed access, hampering efforts to locate any trace of the missing woman.

Sulizmie Affendy explained that rescuers were using a “technique of blasting and disintegrating the objects” to dislodge the blockage and clear the way for a thorough search of the subterranean drainage system.

“So far, we have yet to uncover any clues to the whereabouts of the victim,” he said.

Rescue personnel prepare to enter the sinkhole in Kuala Lumpur on Friday after receiving reports that a woman had fallen into it. Photo: Fire and Rescue Department of Malaysia via AP

To prevent further complications, Kuala Lumpur City Hall has strategically placed over 100 sandbags around the exposed sewer lines, shielding them from the disruptive influx of rainwater.