KUALA LUMPUR: Mayor Datuk Seri Maimunah Mohd Sharif has refuted claims that the federal capital is unsafe after a woman was swallowed by a sinkhole in Jalan Masjid India here on Friday.
"In my view, Kuala Lumpur remains safe. We will only consider it unsafe if there are studies that provide evidence to the contrary, especially given the alarming media reports," she said at a press conference here today.
She said the situation around Jalan Masjid India and in Kuala Lumpur is under control and safe for visitors, while residents and businesses can proceed with their daily routines as usual.
She said this in response to a claim on social media that the city was the most unsafe place in the country, with the potential for a "giant sinkhole" to appear at any time.
Present were Dang Wangi police chief Assistant Commissioner Sulizmie Affendy Sulaiman, city Fire and Rescue Department deputy director Rozihan Anwar Mamat and Indah Water Konsortium chief executive officer Narendran Maniam.
Maimunah announced that Kuala Lumpur City Hall had activated a task force comprising the police, Fire and Rescue Department, Civil Defence Department and Minerals and Geoscience Department to assess the area's safety.
"I have set up a task force to further review and investigate the site. The task force has already been activated and will proceed as quickly as possible."
Last night, the authorities completed insepections of all six manholes from Jalan Masjid India to the sewerage pond in Pantai Dalam.
However, there were no signs of the 48-year-old Indian national who fell into a sinkhole on Friday.
The authorities were searching along a 7km sewage line accessible through six manholes. Only one rescue personnel in full protective equipment was sent due to the danger posed by toxic gases from the sewers.
The six manholes are located in front of Wisma Yakin, on Jalan Melayu, at the Jalan Melayu intersection, in Dataran Merdeka, near Bank Pertanian Lebuh Pasar and in Bulatan Kinabalu.
The sinkhole appeared on Friday, causing the woman to fall into the pit.
To date, rescuers have only found a pair of her slippers near the location.