KOTA BARU: There is no need to declare the Jalan Masjid India area in Kuala lumpur, where the sinkhole incident recently occurred, as unsafe or a disaster zone, says Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain.
When an area is declared as unsafe, he said, the police must obtain special permission from the National Security Council.
“So far, there is no need to declare Jalan Masjid India as an unsafe zone because the sinkhole incident is not classified as a disaster.
“Even though it is not a disaster, the police, Fire and Rescue Department, Kuala Lumpur City Hall and the Civil Defence Force have performed their duties diligently as if it were, due to the operation control centre being in place,” he told a press conference at the handover of duties of the Kelantan police chief at the state contingent police headquarters yesterday.
He said this when asked about the latest developments in the search and rescue operation (SAR) to locate an Indian national who is still missing after she stepped into a sinkhole.
“I have visited the Jalan Masjid India area twice, and the search for the missing victim will continue until she is found,” he said, Bernama reported.
“Additionally, instructions have been issued to Kuala Lumpur police chief (Datuk Rusdi Mohd Isa) and Dang Wangi district police chief (ACP Sulizme Affendy Sulaiman) to close all chambers and culverts,” he added.
Razarudin said the route along Jalan Masjid India towards Jalan Raja Laut was closed for SAR operation.
He also clarified that authorities have not ordered any of the nearby shops to close.
“I prefer not to elaborate on this matter as the police’s role is primarily related to security, not technical aspects,” he said.
On Aug 23, Vijayalaksmi, 48, from Kuppam, Andhra Pradesh, fell into an 8m-deep pit when the ground she was walking on caved in.
