'Flushing' method to be used in search for sinkhole victim

KUALA LUMPUR: Rescuers will implement a new method in their search for missing 48-year-old Vijayalaksmi, who has been hampered by slow water flow.

Kuala Lumpur mayor Datuk Seri Maimunah Mohd Sharif said the flushing operation and a thorough search at the sewage system endpoint at the Indah Water Konsortium (IWK) sewage plant in Pantai Dalam would be conducted.

"Preparations are underway, and the flushing is expected to begin later today," she said at a press conference at the sinkhole site at Jalan Masjid India on Sunday (Aug 25).

Indah Water Konsortium engineer Narendran Maniam explained that the flushing method would not utilise high-pressure water nozzles.

"We plan to build up water pressure naturally by temporarily blocking the water flow to manholes 5 and 6.

"The water will then be released once pressure is built up to flush away any debris or blockage in the sewage system," he said.

Kuala Lumpur Fire and Rescue Department deputy director Rozihan Anwar Mamat said the manholes were near the Bank Pertanian on Lebuh Pasar Besar and the Kinabalu roundabout.

He said Saturday’s (Aug 24) hours-long search produced no results other than abnormally slow-moving water flow.

"The search in all six manholes yielded no results, but we observed slow water flow in manholes 5 and 6."

"Consequently, we decided to conduct another search of these two manholes to ensure no blockage. However, the search also yielded negative results.

"For now, we are unsure what is causing this, but it could be debris or something else blocking the flow of water," he said.

Dang Wangi OCPD Asst Comm Sulizme Affendy Sulaiman said the search would continue indefinitely even if the flushing produced no results.

"We cannot ascertain yet how long the SAR will be conducted. But rest assured that the search will be conducted until the victim is found," he said.

Vijayalaksmi, a tourist from India, fell into an eight-meter-deep sinkhole on Jalan Masjid India after the ground collapsed while she was walking to a nearby temple at 8.22am on Friday (Aug 23).

According to ACP Sulizme, Vijayalaksmi’s sister testified that the victim disappeared immediately after falling into the sudden sinkhole.