Malaysian authorities are currently working to rescue a woman who fell into an eight-meter-deep sinkhole that suddenly appeared on a busy road in Kuala Lumpur. The 48-year-old Indian national was sitting on a roadside bench on Jalan Masjid India when the ground beneath her unexpectedly gave way, according to local police reports.
Videos circulating on social media capture the scene as crowds gather to watch rescue workers attempting to reach the woman trapped below. Some of the rescuers are seen using ladders, hammers, and diggers to clear a path into the sinkhole, though there has been no visible sign of the woman.
The Kuala Lumpur Fire and Rescue Department received a distress call at 08:22 local time (00:22 GMT) and promptly sent 15 firefighters to the scene. Operation commander Mohd Riduan Akhbar confirmed that a search and rescue operation is underway, with the Special Tactical Operation and Rescue Team of Malaysia (STORM) and the K9 unit also involved.
Local police chief Assistant Commissioner Sulizmie Affendy Sulaiman stated that 90 personnel from various agencies have joined the rescue efforts. Authorities plan to review CCTV footage and interview witnesses to better understand the incident.
The BBC has reached out to the Kuala Lumpur Fire and Rescue Department for further comments. Sinkholes typically form when underground water erodes surface rock, creating a void that eventually collapses. While sinkholes are relatively common, injuries from them are rare.
One of the most catastrophic sinkhole incidents in recent history occurred in Canada in 2010, where a family of four perished after their home was swallowed by a massive sinkhole near Montreal. The world’s largest known sinkhole, Xiaoxhai Tiankeng in southwestern China, measures 660 meters deep and is believed to have formed over 128,000 years ago.
