Mayor rejects claims that city is unsafe

Kuala Lumpur sinkhole Kuala Lumpur Mayor Maimunah Mohd Sharif has rejected claims that the city is unsafe for habitation, as search and rescue efforts for a woman who fell into a sinkhole in Jalan Masjid India entered their fourth day.

- Christie Chiu

On Aug 23, 48-year-old Indian national Vijayalaksmi, who was visiting Malaysia, was walking in the area when a section of the pavement suddenly caved in and took her with it.

There has been no trace of the woman so far, except for a pair of slippers believed to belong to her.

Kuala Lumpur City Hall said in a statement on Aug 26 that the Indah Water Konsortium (IWK) will use a jetter machine to break up debris in a manhole located about 70m downstream from where the incident occurred.

It added that the Fire and Rescue Department is also searching for Ms Vijayalaksmi at the IWK Pantai Dalam plant.

"IWK has already implemented flushing at Manhole 5 from late last night until 2am today, but has yet to find any clues.

"To ensure seamless search efforts, the public is advised not to gather near the scene," the statement said.