It is believed that she was swept away by an underground water current.

The incident took place in the Dang Wangi district of the Malaysian capital. According to eyewitness accounts by local police chief Sulizmie Affendy Sulaiman, the woman was walking on the sidewalk when the earth suddenly collapsed beneath her.

She was identified as a 48-year-old tourist from India.

Rescue workers have cordoned off part of the area and have used an excavator to clear debris from the sinkhole, but there has been no sign of the victim yet.

Sulizmie declined to comment on the woman’s possible condition or the cause of the incident.

According to Kuala Lumpur police chief Rusdi Mohamad Isa, there was a strong water current underground and the woman may have been swept away.

Rusdi was quoted by national news agency Bernama as saying the search required careful planning as it involved public infrastructure.

For example, if pipes or drains are closed, it could cause flooding in the area, he said.

“We must not act recklessly,” he added.

Rusdi said a landslide was reported last year at the same spot where the sinkhole formed, but that it has since been sealed.

He said traders in the area have been advised to close temporarily for safety reasons.

The woman had come to Malaysia for a holiday with her husband and some friends about two months ago and they were due to return home on Saturday, he said.