Yeoh said the family could submit their claim through the courts as Kuala Lumpur had never faced such a case before, Bernama reported.

“What I can say here is, firstly, we sympathise with the family over the incident, and I am sure they are relieved now that the death certificate has been issued.

“For compensation claims, I believe they need to settle the matter through court proceedings, and for this, their lawyers can file a claim in court and we leave it to the court to decide the amount of compensation,” she told reporters after an event in Putrajaya today.

Yeoh said discussions had been held with Kuala Lumpur mayor Fadlun Mak Ujud on the matter and it was understood that the victim’s family would first return to India before meeting her.

Yesterday, FMT reported that the family of G Vijaya Lakshmi, who fell into a sinkhole in 2024, is seeking RM824,000 in compensation from the federal government.

Lawyer M Partiben, representing the family, said the sum was based on the damages awarded by the Kuala Lumpur sessions court to a couple whose son was killed by a falling tree in 2023.

Partiben said he was negotiating the compensation sum with Yeoh and Kuala Lumpur City Hall.

Vijaya Lakshmi, 48, from Andhra Pradesh, was on holiday in Malaysia when she was swallowed by an 8m-deep sinkhole which opened up while she was walking along Jalan Masjid India on Aug 23, 2024.

The search and rescue operation was called off after nine days over safety concerns.

On Sept 1, 2024, Bernama reported that the Cabinet would discuss a proposal to compensate her family.

A DBKL-led task force investigating the incident later identified a sewer pipe structure, weakened by chemical corrosion and soil instability, as the main cause of the sinkhole.