Malaysia halts rescue operation for woman who plunged into sinkhole

By Michael Rios, CNN

(CNN) — Malaysian authorities have stopped a nine-day effort to find and rescue a woman who fell into a sinkhole in Kuala Lumpur, officials said Saturday.

The operation will now shift into a search and recovery phase, local media reported, citing Zaliha Mustafa, a minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in the Federal Territories.

Mustafa said several factors went into the decision, including concerns over the safety and health of the rescue personnel, Singaporean newspaper the Straits Times reported.

Vijaya Lakshmi Gali, an Indian national, fell into the sinkhole on the morning of Aug. 23, according to the High Commission of India in Kuala Lumpur.

Surveillance footage shows the woman walking on a pavement along a busy road when the sinkhole suddenly opened beneath her. She plunged into the eight-meter gap while people around her scrambled for safety.

Malaysian authorities mounted an extensive, multi-agency rescue effort involving the Royal Malaysian Police, the Fire and Rescue Department and the Civil Defense Force, among others.

They tried a variety of tools and techniques to locate her, including excavations, flushing portions of the drain system, sending divers to search the city’s sewage line, using high-pressure water jets to remove obstacles, and mapping inaccessible areas with remote cameras and ground-penetrating radar, according to the High Commission of India in Kuala Lumpur.

Authorities found no trace of her apart from a pair of slippers, the Associated Press reported.

CNN has reached out to Malaysian authorities and the Indian High Commission in Kuala Lumpur for more information.

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