KUALA LUMPUR – A ground penetrating radar (GPR) and close circuit cameras were new devices used in the search for an Indian tourist who has disappeared after falling into a sinkhole on Jalan Masjid India last Friday.
The GPR was brought today by the Malaysian Nuclear Agency and was spotted at the incident site, Bernama reports.
The device works by emitting electromagnetic waves into the ground through a transmitter and detecting the reflected waves using a receiver sensor.
It is the same equipment that was used in the Batang Kali landslide in December 2022.
Meanwhile, Indah Water Konsortium (IWK) in a statement on Facebook today said it had used cameras in the search, although this proved futile in finding the victim.
“IWK has been using the ‘flushing’ technique in sewer manholes, besides using the jetter machine, a high pressure jet to break up rock debris inside the manholes.
“At the same time, IWK has used CCTV, unfortunately, all these efforts have not yielded any clues. Regardless of the situation, IWK remains committed to helping the search and rescue operation,” the utility company said.
The flushing technique is in use at the Pantai Dalam treatment plant, the endpoint of the city’s sewerage system, while the jetter machine was used to break through rock debris in a manhole in front of Wisma Yakin on Jalan Masjid India, close to the incident site.
Sewer manholes around the site were also opened in stages over the weekend to search for the victim.
Today’s search, which is in the fifth day, focused on the IWK treatment plant at Pantai Dalam, where fire and rescue personnel are inspecting a 15m-high sewage tank.
The plant is the last point of the waste management pipeline as it handles the sewage of Kuala Lumpur’s 1.8 million residents.
The operation here poses significant danger to the personnel in the form of toxic and flammable gases.
Bernama reported earlier that personnel will be lowered into the tank and its filter section to search for clues regarding the victim. They have to wear specialised protective gear designed for single use and breathing apparatus when entering the tank.
The victim has been identified as Vijaya Lakshmi, 48, from Andhra Pradesh, India who was in Malaysia with her family for a vacation.
She was walking to a nearby temple for breakfast when the pavement under her gave way suddenly. – August 27, 2024