Indian woman missing after falling into sinkhole which suddenly opened up in Malaysia

Saturday, August 24, 2024 - A woman is missing after falling into an eight-metre (26ft) deep sinkhole in the Kuala Lumpur city centre on Friday, August 23, after the pavement caved in, burying her, Malaysian authorities said.

It happened in the Dang Wangi area of the Malaysian capital.

The local police chief, Sulizmie Affendy Sulaiman, said that based on witness accounts, the woman was walking along the pavement when the earth suddenly collapsed beneath her.

Kuala Lumpur’s fire and rescue department, which received a distress call early on Friday, said the woman was believed to be an Indian national.

Sulizmie said he could not confirm her identity as investigations were continuing.

Rescuers have barricaded part of the area and used an excavator to clear the debris in the hole, but there was as yet no sign of the woman.

“The search will continue until the victim is found,” Sulizmie said.

He declined to comment when asked about the cause of the incident.