Grim mood, shuttered shops as search for victim continues

Operation expands to sewer tunnels 7km away; shoppers avoid area amid safety fears

- Azril Annuar

The Malaysian authorities were on Aug 27 still searching for an Indian national who vanished without a trace after falling into an 8m-deep sinkhole four days before, with the search area enlarged to include sewer tunnels about 7km away.

The shocking incident has turned the usually bustling shopping district of Jalan Masjid India where it occurred into a mini ghost town as shoppers mostly avoided the area, amid concerns about other possible sinkholes occurring.

Some parts of the main street have also been cordoned off by the police, with access only to rescue and search workers, government officials and the media.

At the search site on Aug 27 was a ground-penetrating radar device to scour the soil using electromagnetic waves, local media reported, with the equipment brought in by the Malaysian Nuclear Agency.

The agency joined the Fire Department, Kuala Lumpur City Hall, the police, wastewater management company Indah Water Konsortium, and the Public Works Department in the search for the missing tourist.

Ms Vijayalaksmi, 48, from India's Andhra Pradesh state, fell into the sinkhole that appeared out of nowhere on the pavement in Jalan Masjid India on Aug 23. She was heading towards a nearby temple.

The authorities believe the woman was then swept into the sewer tunnels below, with gushing water running underground at the time due to recent heavy rain.

Ms Vijayalaksmi and her family had been in Malaysia for about two months and were due to fly home on Aug 24.