A Bernama survey at the location at 9 am found that a search and rescue (SAR) operation team comprising the Royal Malaysian Police, Fire and Rescue Department, Kuala Lumpur City Hall and the Civil Defence Force were already on standby at the scene to continue the operation.
It is understood that Thursday’s SAR operation to find the sinkhole victim will continue to focus around the main location of the incident in Jalan Masjid India.
The survey also found that more business premises around the location are closed as the police cordoned off the entire length of Jalan Masjid India with yellow tape to ensure public safety.
On August 23, an Indian tourist known as Vijayaletchumy, 48, went missing after falling into an eight-metre sinkhole in Jalan Masjid India while passing through the road to go to a nearby temple.
An SAR operation was activated on the same day involving members from various security forces and local authorities using various techniques including the use of tracker dog units (K9) and the ‘jetting’ method.
Early Thursday morning, two firemen went down the sewage channel at the site of the sinkhole incident along Jalan Masjid India to dive into the sewage tunnel.
Based on observations at the location, two firemen from the Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) Diving Team (PPDA) who were fully equipped with scuba gear were seen descending into the hole at 3.06 in the morning and closely watched by members of the SAR team members.
The diving process was carried out after JBPM detected an obstacle in the form of an object stuck between the location of the clear soil and the second sewer, located approximately 80 metres away, yesterday.
However, less than half an hour later, the two firemen were then seen being pulled up using a rope and they climbed back out of the hole with the help of other team members before being decontaminated and cleaned.
Bernama was made to understand that the reason both divers were lifted up was because they were unable to get close to the location where the object is believed to have stuck, due to strong under currents in the sewage tunnel.
On Wednesday, JBPM Deputy Director General (Operations) Datuk Ahmad Izram Osman said his team detected an obstacle in the form of an object stuck between the location of the clear land and the second sewage tunnel which is located approximately 80 metres away from the site.
He said that the findings were obtained through detection by two Detection Unit (K9) dogs, Denti and Frankie, who were brought down to the scene of the incident last Tuesday, in addition to camera detection.
Following the detected object, water and sewage was pumped out late Wednesday night while eight divers assisted by 75 members who were manning the machinery and logistics.
