Terrifying surveillance video has captured the moment a tourist was suddenly swallowed by a sinkhole while walking down a busy Malaysia street — sending her plummeting some 26 feet below ground and sparking a frantic search for the still-missing woman.
Rescue workers have been scrambling around the clock ever since Vijaya Lakshmi, 48, disappeared into the massive sinkhole in the center of Kuala Lumpur last Friday as she was walking to a nearby temple, local outlet Malay Mail reported.
Chilling CCTV footage showed an unsuspecting Lakshmi, who was visiting from India, strolling along before the sidewalk abruptly gave way beneath her — causing her to drop through the huge square hole.
At least one man sitting on a nearby seat managed to narrowly avoid being swallowed up as well, the clip shows.
A group, believed to be Lakshmi’s relatives, could be seen desperately peering into the hole just moments after the woman vanished.
So far, search crews have reportedly only been able to locate the woman’s shoes underground as emergency workers utilized ground-penetrating radars in a bid to find her.
Rescuers have also started using powerful water jets to remove debris from the underground sewage system amid fears she could have been swept away.
The woman had come to Malaysia with her husband and several friends about two months ago for a vacation and they had been due to return home Sunday, according to authorities.
Meanwhile, as the frantic search entered its sixth day, another sinkhole opened up Wednesday — just 160 feet from the one that swallowed up the tourist.
No injuries were reported in the second ordeal, authorities said.
