KL Sinkhole Tragedy: Five Days and Counting In Desperate Search For Vijayaletchumy

The family of the victim wants to see her one last time.

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On the morning of Friday, 23 August, the nation was stunned by the news of a woman from India being swallowed by a sinkhole that suddenly appeared on the sidewalk along Jalan Masjid India in Kuala Lumpur.

The victim, 48-year-old Vijaya Lakshmi Gali, a tourist from Andhra Pradesh, India, was on her way to a temple with her family when she fell into the eight-meter-deep hole.

She was visiting Malaysia with her husband Mathaiya and son Suriya. According to an NDTV report, she frequently travelled to Singapore and Malaysia for business.

It was reported earlier that she was scheduled to fly back to India the day after the tragedy after being here for almost two months.

N Chandrababu Naidu, the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, gave the Andhra Pradesh Non-Resident Telugu Society (APNRTS) officials instructions to help the victim’s family and make sure the search is exhaustive.

The search and rescue (SAR) operation for Vijaya Lakshmi has now entered its fifth day, but she remains unaccounted for.

So far, rescuers have only found a pair of slippers believed to belong to the victim near the incident site.

According to FMT, a flushing technique has been employed over the past two days to aid in locating her.

This method, initiated on the evening of 24 August, involves systematically flushing out manholes to search for clues.

Despite flushing four manholes, no evidence of the victim has been uncovered.

On the night of 25 August, Indah Water Konsortium began flushing a fifth manhole, continuing the operation until early morning on 26 August, as reported by Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL).

Dang Wangi police chief, Assistant Commissioner Sulizmie Affendy Sulaiman, stated that authorities have yet to determine the full extent of the search required.

A meeting chaired by KL Mayor Datuk Seri Maimunah Mohd Sharif was held to discuss the ongoing situation.

“We will continue the search and rescue operation until the victim is found,” Sulizmie affirmed during a press conference, as reported by the New Straits Times.

He also mentioned that he had spoken with the victim’s family, who are key witnesses in the investigation.

According to their account, Vijaya Lakshmi’s sibling, who was walking ahead, returned to the sinkhole after the fall but could not locate her.

The victim’s family is deeply distressed by Vijaya Lakshmi’s disappearance but has come to terms with their situation.

They now have only one wish: to see her one last time.

This was conveyed by Arvind Appiasamy, Special Officer for Indian Affairs to the Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

“It’s really heartbreaking. They are prepared for the worst-case scenario and hope the authorities can find the victim as soon as possible,” Arvind added.

He also confirmed that their visas have been extended for another month, effective from yesterday.

Authorities have completed the inspection of all six manholes on 24 August, spanning from Jalan Masjid India to the sewerage pond in Pantai Dalam, covering a 7km sewage line.

Despite these efforts, no signs of the victim have been found.

The search was conducted with extreme caution due to toxic gases in the sewer system, limiting entry to one rescue personnel in full protective gear at a time.

The manholes inspected include those at Wisma Yakin, Jalan Melayu, Dataran Merdeka, and Bulatan Kinabalu.

In an effort to support the rescue operation, a Singaporean waste management company, Jetters Incz Pte Ltd, has offered their assistance voluntarily and free of charge.

“As specialists in this field, we would like to offer our voluntary assistance to support the ongoing investigation and search efforts,” the company stated.

They added that their team has access to advanced technology and possessed the necessary skills that could be crucial to the operation.

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