Indian Vijaya Lakshmi Gali was on holiday in Malaysia with family and friends. On 23 August, at around 8.20am, she was walking through the streets of Jalan Masjid India in the capital, Kuala Lumpur. The target was a nearby temple. Suddenly the pavement gave way beneath her. The others who were there managed to get away in time. But Gali disappeared into the depths. A major rescue operation was launched. For over a week, a total of 110 rescue workers have worked night and day to try to find her, according to the BBC. Initially without results. The only trace they have found is a pair of shoes. Crews and machines have been at work around the clock since the woman fell through the pavement about a week ago. Photo: Vincent Thian / AP Too risky to use divers Before the weekend, two divers descended via the sewer and water mains. They had to fight against large amounts of water and a lot of sewage. The rescue management now believes that it is too risky to send divers down in the future. – It was extremely difficult to get around down there. It was very crowded, poor visibility and many hard blocks of solid waste that we couldn’t get past, the head of the fire and rescue service, Nor Hisham Mohammad, told reporters on Friday. Divers: – You won’t believe what’s down there Excavators have dug up the entire area around the hole in the pavement. Rescuers have used dogs, cameras and radar. And thus sent people down through the network of reeds below the surface. – It was really scary to go down through the sewer, but it is our duty to do it, said firefighter Alimaddia Bukri to the newspaper Simar Harian earlier this week. – There is pitch black in that mess. You won’t believe what’s down there. It is full of human waste and other rubbish, another diver told The Straits Times on Wednesday. Rescuers descend into the eight-metre-deep hole that opened in the pavement in Kuala Lumpur. Photo: Fire and Rescue Department of Malaysia / AP Demand answers A few days ago, a new hole was discovered in the pavement, only 50 meters from the first. There are usually many tourists in this part of Kuala Lumpur. But in the last week it has been far quieter than usual. The shops report a drop in turnover of between 50 and 70 per cent. Some businesses are considering closing. The first rescue crews were quickly on the scene after the woman had fallen through this hole in the pavement on 23 August. Photo: Fire and Rescue Department of Malaysia / AP Hendinga has sparked both fear and anger in Malaysia. Not least among those who live and work in the area. They demand answers as to what is the cause of what happened. – When I’m inside the building, I feel safe. But when I’m outside, I’m scared, I look down at the ground in fear, says Noor, a mother of two who has had her workplace here for around ten years. – I don’t know how many times I have gone to this particular place. In the morning, I like to sit on the bench that is there while I wait for the shop to open, says Noor to CNA’s online newspaper. The governing authorities promise to investigate the incident, to try to find answers. The mayor of Kuala Lumpur, Maimunah Mohamad Sharif says that an inspection of the sewage system in the area must be carried out to get a better picture of the condition below street level. Although the rescue management believes it is too risky to send divers down, there are no plans to cancel the rescue operation. Kuala Lumpur City Hall has also canceled the event the evening before National Day on Sunday, out of respect for the family. Published 01.09.2024, at 20.45
ttn-69
Woman missing for a week after falling through hole in pavement – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
