K9 Heroes Return: Frankie and Denti Join Sinkhole Rescue Mission

By Subaashinee Kupusamy,

KUALA LUMPUR, 28 August: Two heroic dogs from the Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department’s (JBPM) K9 Unit, Frankie and Denti, have returned to support the search and rescue (SAR) mission for a victim of the sinkhole incident at Jalan Masjid India.

The English Springer Spaniels dogs were brought to the scene at 5 pm to aid the SAR team in locating Vijayaletchumi, an Indian national who remains missing.

According to JBPM sources, Frankie and Denti drew significant attention from both the public and media present at the site. The dogs, along with their handlers, conducted searches within the sinkhole for approximately 10 to 15 minutes.

Their previous contributions have made them beloved figures in Malaysia, particularly after their involvement in the SAR operations during the Batang Kali landslide and their subsequent mission in Turkiye following a devastating earthquake earlier this year.

Despite previous efforts by the SAR team, including innovative techniques like timing objects in water, no new leads were found. As the search enters its sixth day, the team remains dedicated to finding the 48-year-old victim who fell into the eight-meter-deep sinkhole early Friday morning.

The victim, from Kuppam, Andhra Pradesh, had been on holiday in Malaysia and was heading to a nearby temple for breakfast when the incident occurred as stated in Bernama.