Arjun has been missing since the massive landslide that occurred on National Highway 66, on 16 July, following the heavy rains.
Published Jul 20, 2024 | 5:52 PM ⚊ Updated Jul 21, 2024 | 12:36 AM
Rescue operataion underway at the landslide site. (Supplied)
As the search for Arjun—the missing lorry driver from Kerala continues in Shirur, Karnataka, his family says the GPS signal of the vehicle is the hope they are clinching on.
Arjun has been missing since the massive landslide that occurred on National Highway 66, on 16 July, following the heavy rains in Uttara Kannada district.
The landslide caused seven deaths. Speaking to South First, Uttara Kannada district Superintendent of Police, M Narayan said, “Regarding the Shirur tragedy, we have recovered seven dead bodies. We are searching for a Benz vehicle buried, as indicated by the GPS. Family members have reported that phones inside the vehicle are still ringing. A search for the vehicle is underway. The gas tanker is being safely emptied.”
Apart from Arjun, two other people are also still missing.
He further added, “Due to ongoing landslides, road clearance operations are also underway.”
Meanwhile, continuous rains in the district have led to further landslides. A massive landslide occurred on the Siddapur-Kumta road, cutting off the connection between Siddapur and Kumta. While the clearance operations on the Sirsi-Kumta road are ongoing, the road is still not accessible. Approximately twelve JCBs are continuously working, however, the major landslides in some areas are causing difficulties.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is expected to visit the landslide site on Sunday, 21 July, to review the search operations.
Speaking to South First, Arjun’s sister said, “We contacted the Bharath Benz showroom at Pantheeramkavu, Kozhikode to check the details. It’s them who mentioned the signal. They provided us with the hope. For us, everything is based on that hope.”
Pradip Kannoth, manager, of Autobahn Trucking, BharathBenz dealer, Pantheeramkavu also confirmed with South First that the last position of the vehicle was shown at the landslide location on 16 July, at 8:44 am.
“To track the vehicle a portal is available for the customers. An inbuilt device is there for that. By using the login credentials, they could trace the vehicle. It’s based on that we shared the input. We shared this with the police as well as the owner of the vehicle.”
Arjun’s family, residing in Kozhikode last spoke to him on Monday, 15 July, his phone was available on Tuesday, but the calls went unanswered. However, his phone rang once on Friday, 19 July, at 8 am.
Arjun’s brother-in-law reached the incident site on Friday and confirmed that soil removal had commenced in a bid to locate him.
The Siddaramaiah government on Friday instructed Karnataka Law and Order ADGP R Hitendra to oversee the investigation. The Karnataka Cyber Cell has also been inducted into the case.
On the other hand, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan instructed Chief Secretary V Venu to urgently intervene, and coordinate with the Karnataka government to rescue the missing Keralite.
Additionally, Kerala Minister PA Mohammed Riyas has appointed the Kozhikode Collector to coordinate the efforts.
Kerala Forest Minister A K Saseendran, who visited the family on Saturday morning, told reporters that the rescue operations were expedited following effective intervention from the Kerala government and prominent political parties in the state.
“Hope it will be fruitful,” he said.
He further said that besides a team of Motor Vehicle Department officials from Kerala, a police team from the state was also present at the site where the landslide occurred and they were providing regular reports about the status of the rescue efforts.
The minister also said that equipment like ground penetrating radar and metal detectors have reached the site to help with the rescue efforts.
Meanwhile, an MVD officer present at the landslide site told reporters that the Karnataka officials were hopeful of finding the truck by Saturday afternoon.
Union Minister for Steel and Heavy Industries HD Kumaraswamy on Saturday visited the landslide-hit area on Saturday afternoon and alleged that “unscientific work” has happened here, indicating it to be the cause of the incident.
“On the one hand, work has happened in the forest area while on the other, substandard work has been done. There are several good works happening in the country but here unscientific work has happened. There were some issues related to the approvals given by the forest department. But there is no point in commenting on it now. It is a very sorrowful incident that five members of a family who were making a living by selling tea have died,” he told reporters here after reviewing the operation.
(Edited by Sumavarsha Kandula with inputs from Nolan Patrick Pinto and PTI)
