KL sinkhole: Rescue divers’ week-long search continues for missing tourist

“It is pitch black in that pipe, and we have vision only because of our torchlight,” said one of the four divers from the Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department, who wanted to be known simply as Zulkhairi.

“You don’t want to know what’s in there – it’s full of human waste and other garbage. We decontaminate immediately after each dive,” he told The Straits Times on Aug 28.

Zulkhairi works with another diver, and there is another team of two specialist divers from the department, which regularly conducts search and rescue missions in flooded towns and villages.

Vijayalaksmi, 48, from Kuppam, Andhra Pradesh state, fell 8m into the sinkhole that opened up on the pavement in Jalan Masjid India, a popular tourist shopping district. She was heading towards a nearby temple.

The authorities said a portion of a large concrete sewer at the bottom of the sinkhole was broken, and Ms Vijayalaksmi might have fallen in and been swept away.

Heavy rain that deluged Kuala Lumpur in the past weeks meant there was a lot of fast-moving water in the sinkhole and sewer, complicating the search efforts.

A second sinkhole appeared in Jalan Masjid India on Aug 28, about 50m from the first one, causing further alarm.

Zulkhairi said he is staying focused on retrieving the missing tourist.

“I’m just following my orders, I never thought about how frightening it is. Also, because the pipe is quite large, it is not as claustrophobic as I first thought, and I wasn’t as nervous during the dive.”

The team’s latest dive took place at 3.06 am on Aug 29. A two-man team went into the sewer after the Fire and Rescue Department detected a large obstacle on Aug 28.

However, the divers were pulled out less than 30 minutes later without locating the obstacle, due to strong currents posing a risk to their lives.

Indian High Commissioner B.N. Reddy was at the scene at around 3.45pm, where he received a briefing from the police and fire department.

The Fire and Rescue Department’s director-general Nor Hisham Mohammad said a 15m-long blockage had been detected in the sewer not far from the first sinkhole, comprising debris such as human waste, tyres, hair and solidified used cooking oil.

The authorities are using ground-penetrating radar equipment to get an image of the ground below Jalan Masjid India, to pinpoint voids and changes in material density that could indicate a trapped body.

The blockage might have prevented the missing tourist from being swept to the sewage treatment plant in Pantai Dalam some 7km away, where large metal screens trap any big items in the pipe.

“We are slowly trying to break the debris apart using iron hooks and rope,” said Nor Hisham. “We need to break it apart slowly, as the strong currents, coupled with debris that has been broken from the main blockage, would pose a high risk for our divers.”

High-pressure water jets are also being used to break up the debris blocking up the large sewage pipe.

Due to the sinkholes, the authorities have cordoned off sections of the area from the public, allowing only authorised officials access to the location.

Amid mounting worries over the main road in the area and the narrow shopping lanes, Deputy Prime Minister Fadillah Yusof said the area remains safe for the public, but they must not enter areas cordoned off by the police.

“For now, (Jalan Masjid India) is safe. We must conduct an integrity audit because there have been new developments (around the area). We need to find out the source” of the sinkholes, said Fadillah during a visit to the area on Aug 28.

Meanwhile, the annual Independence Day celebrations at the nearby historic Dataran Merdeka (Independence Square) slated for Aug 30 have been cancelled by the Kuala Lumpur City Hall.

Malaysia celebrates its independence on Aug 31, with thousands of people usually gathering at the square and Jalan Masjid India nearby for the midnight countdown, while enjoying performances by local celebrities.

“We are cancelling the celebrations to respect the victim of an incident that occurred in the city recently,” said City Hall’s Facebook statement on Aug 28.

Facebook users lauded the move, saying the Malaysian authorities are being sensitive and are keeping public safety in mind. 

Azril Annuar

The Straits Times

Asia News Network