Local economy suffers after sinkhole incident

KUALA LUMPUR - The number of visitors to Jalan Masjid India has dropped significantly following an incident involving an Indian national identified as Vijayaletchumy, 48, who went missing after falling into an eight-metre-deep pit while passing through the road to go to a nearby temple.

A survey by Sinar at the location revealed that traders are increasingly concerned about their businesses and the overall situation in the area.

Siti Aisha Dela Cruz Salvador, 44, a garment trader, reported that the number of visitors had declined by about 50 per cent since the incident.

She said that both domestic and international tourists were now more hesitant to visit the popular location due to the incident.

"Before the incident, we still had visitors, and business was alright, but now people are afraid to come here. Visitor numbers have definitely declined," she said.

Nadia Galib, 25, another clothing trader, expressed her fears about working near the incident site, which is only 30 metres away from her stall.

Despite her fears, she continues to work to earn a living.

Nadia, who has been trading since 2018, said that she feels uneasy walking around her stall, fearing that something might happen.

"It’s really scary, but I have to earn a living and put food on the table, so I have to stay strong.

"Our business has definitely started to decline.

"The accident has affected us as traders," she said.

Another trader, Muhamad Arif Yunahar, 38, called on the authorities to immediately fix the damage underground to prevent further disruption to business operations and the daily routines of local residents.

He stressed the need to expedite the search for the victim to allow traders to keep their shops open and continue their businesses.

"We hope that business can resume as usual and that we won’t have to close our shops, as suggested by the authorities," he said.