Dang Wangi police chief Sulizmie Affendy Sulaiman said the decision to open the manholes, with assistance from Indah Water Konsortium, was made following discussions with related agencies at 10.30am today.

“We are opening the manholes in stages at six locations: Wisma Yakin, followed by Jalan Melayu, the Jalan Melayu intersection, Dataran Merdeka, Bank Pertanian on Lebuh Pasar Besar, and Bulatan Kinabalu.

“The first manhole was opened at about 10.30am and a firefighter from the scuba unit was sent down, but no clues were found. The search has now moved to the second manhole, and we hope to find some leads until the victim is located,” he told reporters at the scene.

Sulizmie said the manholes are being opened in stages to ensure the safety of the rescue personnel.

Asked about utilising drones, he said all available technological expertise would be considered if needed.

“The same applies to the K9 detection units from relevant agencies, including the police and the fire and rescue department. We will deploy them if necessary,” he said.

Kuala Lumpur fire and rescue department assistant director of operations Fatta Amin said the sewage manholes are part of a domestic sewerage system, and water usage in the system has been relatively low as of this morning.

“The current water level in this channel is at 3ft but the flow remains strong. Due to the presence of toxic gases, only one officer can enter at a time, equipped with personal protective equipment,” he said.

Yesterday, it was reported that a 48-year-old tourist from India, identified as Vijayaletchumy, is feared to have been buried in the sinkhole that occurred at 8.22am.