Footage shows firemen in the early hours of Tuesday morning, August 27, battling to find a woman who was swallowed up by a sinkhole in Malaysia last week,

The Indian tourist, 48, was walking along the Jalan Masjid India area of Kuala Lumpur when the pavement underneath gave way on August 23 morning.

CCTV footage showed the female plunging into the 26ft deep chasm as shocked onlookers scrambled away to safety.

Officials at the Kuala Lumpur Fire and Rescue Department said they were alerted at 8:22 am local time and they have been battling to reach the stranded mother ever since, without success.

Firemen were at the scene with heavy machinery to excavate fallen slabs of pavement and a portion of a stone bench that also fell underground.

The Indian High Commission said it is assisting the woman's shocked family with visa extensions and paperwork.

Operation commander Mohd Riduan Akhbar told local media that a search and rescue operation continues to be conducted.

He said: 'The Special Tactical Operation and Rescue Team of Malaysia (STORM) and the K9 unit are at the location.'

Police chief Assistant Commissioner Sulizmie Affendy Sulaiman said more than 90 personnel from various other agencies have also joined in the operation,

He added: 'We will look at CCTV footage and take statements from witnesses to get a clearer picture of what occurred.'