Angola, KARNATAKA : Rescue services are locked in a race against time, as search for Malayali trucker Arjun and 2 others enters 7th day in Karnataka’s Shirur village where a massive landslide on National Highway swept away at least a dozen people a week ago. Seven bodies have been recovered so far.
Search extends to river and surrounding area after removing layers of mud. State-of-the-art deep-search detectors will assist in the operations. The Navy is overseeing and helping with the high-tech search.
Hauling of mud would be stopped at any section only after ensuring the truck isn’t under, said authorities. Meanwhile, the heavy rains in Uttara Kannada continues to hamper rescue. The area is issued Red Alert for heavy rain conditions.
90 percent of the mud has been hauled out, at the spot indicated by GPS as lorry’s current site, said Karnataka’s Revenue Minister. The place was toured by Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Minister Byre Gowda.
Deep search detector is being brought in from Pune and Chennai for search of river for the missing. The six-day search was confined to land assuming that the Bharat Benz trucker weighing 40 tonnes could not have been swept far out into the river.
Navy conducted search of river until Thursday afternoon, but the truck remained unfound. Heaps of earth has piled up to form trough in the mid portion of the river that’s over half-kilometre wide. The search here calls for sophisticated operations. The massive landslide had destroyed six houses on other side of the river called Uluwar. One resident too is missing post the slide.
The Supreme Court will take up hearing of urgent petition filed by Advoc. KR Subash Chandran calling for emergency intervention to save Arjun. The PIL will be considered by Bench headed by the Chief Justice.
