The effort to locate an Indian tourist who was engulfed by a sinkhole in the Malaysian capital has been suspended, deemed excessively “high risk”, eight days after her disappearance.
Vijaya Lakshmi Gali, 48, was strolling along a road in Kuala Lumpur on 23 August when the ground beneath her unexpectedly gave way.
She fell into the eight-meter sinkhole and vanished from sight. The rescue operation has since captivated Malaysia.
Rescue teams found no evidence of Ms. Gali aside from her sandals, which were discovered during an initial 17-hour search effort.
Investigators have been attempting to search for her in the city’s sewer system, but the circumstances are perilous.
Currently, the nation’s Fire and Rescue Department has declared it too hazardous to deploy additional divers in the search, as reported by the Straits Times.
The sewers are allegedly clogged with solid masses of waste, hair, and cooking oil, rendering navigation through the fast-moving pipes nearly impossible.
“In addition to presenting significant risks to the divers, there are multiple barriers that complicate their navigation [in the sewers],” stated Nor Hisham Mohamad, the department’s director-general.
While observing the search operations early Friday morning, he expressed concerns regarding the safety of divers who needed to maneuver through a constricted passage.
“Upon observing the entry point, which measured approximately 60 cm in width, we were quite apprehensive that they could become trapped.
“There was a piston-like effect caused by the water, which would hinder their ability to retreat, making the situation highly dangerous,” he conveyed, according to the state news agency Bernama.
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Two divers entered the sewer system early Thursday morning, but the danger was excessive, leading to their prompt extraction.
A secondary sinkhole also emerged on Wednesday, approximately 50 meters from the location of the initial incident, raising alarms regarding public safety.
The search operation has incorporated tracking dogs, remote cameras, and ground-penetrating radar to identify underground blockages.
Authorities indicated that Ms. Gali arrived in Malaysia with her spouse and friends around two months prior for leisure.
The incident occurred merely a day prior to their scheduled return home. The family’s visas have been extended as they await further information.
