KUALA LUMPUR: The search and rescue operation for the missing Indian national who fell into a sinkhole at Masjid India has been suspended due to heavy rain.
The operation, in its fifth day, which focused at the endpoint of the sewerage system in Pantai Dalam, was halted at 7.30pm.
Kuala Lumpur City Hall in a statement tonight said the authorities have also shifted their focus on expanding the visibility at the ground zero in Masjid India by hacking the manhole's wall.
Although no new significant discoveries were reported today, the SAR team remains committed to finding the missing 48-year-old tourist, Vijayaletchumy, it said.
"The SAR team is currently working to break the top wall of a manhole at the incident site to improve visibility inside.
"This step is crucial for gaining better insight into the conditions within the manhole," it said.
Meanwhile, it said the Department of Minerals and Geoscience is also conducting Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) scans around the Masjid India area to evaluate the ground conditions.
This scan survey would be extended for about 65 metres from the mosque until the arch located at the entrance of Masjid India.
The same GPR technology is also used by the Nuclear Agency to examine the sinkhole and its surrounding area.
The SAR resumes in the morning.