Kuala Lumpur: Inside the search for woman swallowed by sinkhole

Ms Gali, who was visiting from India’s Andhra Pradesh state, was reportedly heading towards a nearby temple with her family when she was swallowed by the 8m (26ft) deep sinkhole on the street of Jalan Masjid India.

Excavators were deployed shortly after the incident to dig up the area around the sinkhole, while rescuers used sniffer dogs and crawler cameras – robotic cameras used to inspect pipes – to get a better sense of what was happening underground.

They have also tried to break apart hardened debris using high-pressure water jets, iron hooks and rope.

On Tuesday, officials wheeled a ground-penetrating radar device onto the site, to help them pinpoint changes in material density underground.

The next day, a second sinkhole appeared just 50m from the first one. A Malaysian geologist, speaking to local newspaper Malaysiakini, attributed it to the ongoing search and rescue operation.

Search efforts in the last few days have focused on clearing a 15m blockage in the sewer lines below Wisma Yakin, an office building about 44m from the first sinkhole.

Reports said the blockage was made of human waste, tyres, hair and solidified used cooking oil, among other things.

Some parts of Jalan Masjid India have been cordoned off as the search continues.

The area, normally popular with tourists, has become unusually quiet in the last few days. Traders have experienced a 50% to 70% drop in sales, with some considering closures to cut their losses, according to local reports.

The Malaysian government has extended the visas for Ms Gali’s family for a month while they await news of her whereabouts. They were due to return to India last Saturday.

Kuala Lumpur’s City Hall has also cancelled National Day celebrations out of respect for the family.

The incident has sparked fear and anger among Malaysians, many of whom are questioning what might have caused the sinkhole.

Authorities said they would carry out an “integrity audit” to determine the cause. An official from the Minerals and Geosciences Department said initial observations suggested it could have been due to a combination of human activities and climate change.

Additional reporting by Gavin Butler in Singapore