Tourist Vanishes in Kuala Lumpur Sinkhole Collapse

The unexpected emergence of a sinkhole in Kuala Lumpur led to the disappearance of a 48-year-old Indian tourist, according to Malaysian authorities. The incident occurred in the Dang Wangi area on Wednesday when the pavement suddenly gave way, plunging the woman into a 26-foot-deep chasm. She is thought to have been swept away by an underground water current.

Rescue operations swiftly commenced, with part of the area cordoned off and an excavator brought in to clear the debris. Despite extensive efforts, no sign of the victim has yet been found. Local police chief Sulizmie Affendy Sulaiman refrained from speculating on her likely condition. Rusdi Mohamad Isa, the Kuala Lumpur police chief, emphasized the complexity of the search owing to the strong underground water flow. He stated, "We can't act recklessly," highlighting risks of disrupting public infrastructure.

Local traders have been instructed to close their businesses temporarily for safety reasons. Rusdi mentioned that a soil slip incident in the same location had previously been resolved last year. The woman was part of a travel group, including her husband and friends, who had been in Malaysia for about two months and were scheduled to return to India on Saturday. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)