Arjun's lorry did not fell into river, heavy rain posing challenge to rescue efforts

BENGALURU: The rescue mission to find Malayali lorry driver Arjun, who got trapped in the landslide that took place on the national highway in Shirur in Karnataka, is continuing in full swing. The accident happened in a place that is difficult to reach. A member of the Kerala Disaster Management Authority told a media outlet that two units of the NDRF team have reached the spot to carry out the rescue operations.

Heavy rain is continuing on the top of the mountain. The water coming down through the mountain and the strong currents in the river are posing a challenge for the rescue operation. Navy divers dived into the Gangavali River and confirmed that the lorry driven by Arjun was not present at the bottom of the river. Uttara Kannada District Collector Lakshmipriya said that an inspection will be carried out using metal detectors to find if the lorry is trapped underground.

Arjun's family is hoping that the lorry will be stuck under the soil that fell on the road during the landslide. Apart from Navy divers, a 100-member NDRF team is carrying out the rescue operation by removing the soil. The landslide occurred on July 16 morning.

After examining the lorry's GPS location, it was discovered that it had been trapped under soil for the previous four days. However, Arjun's phone, which was switched off for the last few days, was turned on for a brief period yesterday.

"NDRF said that a car and a tanker lorry were recovered from the spot. Bodies of seven people, including two children and two women, were found. Along with the NDRF, Fire Force and police are supervising the rescue efforts," Revenue Minister K Rajan said.