PUTRAJAYA, Aug 30 — The Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) said it is too risky to continue diving as part of the search for an Indian national who was swallowed by a sinkhole on Jalan Masjid India in Kuala Lumpur.
JBPM director-general Datuk Nor Hisham Mohammad said this decision was made after a nearly 30-minute dive by two scuba divers at 4am today proved fruitless.
He identified several risks, including strong underground water currents, limited space for rescuers, and debris and hard blockages in the search area.
“After tactical discussions and feedback from the two divers who dove earlier today, I concluded that it is too risky to continue the diving efforts and physical search for the victim.
“We made several attempts from 5pm yesterday until 1am today to break through the backlog, but it was impossible … extremely difficult to break the solidified fat, which are like concrete blocks. Even pulling at them with ropes with up to eight people was unsuccessful,” he told the media after attending the JBPM monthly assembly today.
Nor Hisham said the diving endeavour, involving a firefighter and a sewer worker familiar with the design of the channels, was done after the water level was reduced using pumps.
“We entered about 20 minutes, 18min, and found there was no space for entry. The space was very narrow, and divers had to lie flat to enter.
“At the same time, the water level rose, so we agreed to withdraw the scuba team due to the high risks,” he said.
Nor Hisham said the JBPM deployed two underwater cameras in the search area, and the images captured were of unidentifiable cloth fragments.
“But we cannot say if the pieces of cloth belong to anyone, as various items were found in that space,” he said.
“I would like to clarify that based on the camera footage, there was no image of a body, as the water turbulence was strong,” he said.
He said the JBPM will meet parties involved in the search operation at the Kuala Lumpur City Hall building this afternoon to determine next steps, including other methods that can be used, and which roads will remain closed.
When asked if the rescue team is “at a loss” for methods to search for the victim, he said the existing methods are too risky for the rescuers, and this needs to be weighed against the risks and probabilities.
He said he was speechless while observing search efforts at 4am today as he was extremely concerned about the safety of the divers, who had to lie flat and crawl through the narrow area.
“When we saw the entry point, which was about two feet (0.6m) wide, we were really worried that they might get stuck. There was a ‘piston effect’ from the water, making it impossible for them to retreat, which is very dangerous,” he added.
When asked if there is still hope of finding the victim as it has been eight days, Nor Hisham said chances are slim.
“With current methods, we feel chances are slim unless we have other techniques,” he said.
On August 23, a woman from India, identified as G. Vijayalakshmi, 48, fell into an 8m-deep sinkhole while on her way to a nearby temple.
The search for her was activated the same day, involving personnel from security forces and local authorities who employed multiple techniques, including jetting, flushing and suction, to clear the site.
— Bernama
