Woman from India disappears down a sinkhole in Malaysia’s capital

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — A woman from India disappeared in Malaysia’s capital Friday when pavement collapsed beneath her and she fell into a sinkhole where she may have been swept away by an underground water current, police said.

The woman plunged into the 8-meter-deep (26-foot-deep) sinkhole in the Dang Wangi area of the Malaysian capital, where local police chief Sulizmie Affendy Sulaiman said witnesses saw the paved walkway suddenly collapse under her while she was walking.

The woman was identified as a 48-year-old tourist from India.

Rescuers barricaded part of the area and used an excavator to clear debris in the sinkhole, but there was no immediate sign of the victim. Sulizmie declined to comment when asked about the possible condition of the woman, or the cause of the incident.

Kuala Lumpur police chief Rusdi Mohamad Isa said there was a strong water flow underground and that the woman may have been swept away.

Rusdi was quoted by the national Bernama news agency as saying the search required careful planning because it involves public infrastructure. For instance, if pipes or drains were shut down, it could cause flooding in the area, he said. “We can’t act recklessly,” he added.

Rusdi said a soil slip was reported last year in the same location where the sinkhole appeared but that it was fixed. He said businesses in the area have been advised to close temporarily for safety reasons.

The woman had come to Malaysia with her husband and several friends about two months ago for a vacation and they were due to return home Saturday, he said.