KUALA LUMPUR, August 29 - Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) has canceled the 2024 Merdeka Eve celebrations, scheduled to take place at Dataran Merdeka on August 30.

The decision was made as a mark of respect to the victims of several incidents that happened around the capital recently.

In a post on DBKL's Facebook page, it also invited the public to appreciate the meaning of National Day by showcasing their patriotism.

"This cancellation follows the sinkhole incident that occurred last Friday on Jalan Masjid India, where an Indian woman, Vijayaletchumy, 48, went missing after falling into an eight-metre deep hole," DBKL said.

DBKL also informed that the Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) had entered the sewage channel upstream from the sewage tunnel at Wisma Yakin.

Manual shoring (temporary support system) and excavation works are also being carried out.

Efforts to locate the victim using Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) by the Department of Mineral and Geosciences will resume today.