ANGOLA: The remains of Arjun, a native of Kozhikode who went missing in a landslide in Karnataka, were found in the Gangavali River near Shirur. The body parts, found inside the cabin of a lorry, have been moved to the hospital mortuary in Karwar. DNA testing will confirm the identity and the body will be handed over to the family if the results are positive, informed District Collector Lakshmi Priya.

Karwar MLA Satish Kumar Sail also stated that the DNA testing is essential to verify that the remains indeed belong to Arjun. The search for Jagannathan and Lokesh, two Karnataka natives who are still missing, continues in the river.

The lorry's owner, Manaf, confirmed that the cabin belonged to his vehicle. The wreckage was found 71 days after Arjun went missing. A dredger retrieved the lorry’s metal parts from the river and it was brought ashore. The decomposed body was recovered as expected. After being transported by an SDRF boat, it was transferred to the hospital.

Arjun’s brother-in-law, Jithin, expressed a mixture of sorrow and relief, stating that although they knew Arjun would not return, at least they had some closure. Manaf also expressed that while the recovery brought peace, there was no happiness in finding the lorry. The recovery site in Shirur witnessed several emotional moments.

Arjun, a native of Kandyankal, Kozhikode, went missing after a landslide hit Karnataka on July 16. Despite frequent interruptions in the search due to unfavorable weather conditions, the family remained hopeful, clinging to the possibility that Arjun would be found. Tragically, their hopes came to a somber conclusion.

Arjun was one of ten victims of the disaster, with seven bodies previously recovered from the river. On July 8, he had traveled to Karnataka in a lorry owned by Manaf, a native of Mukkam, to transport wood. His last known contact was on July 16, after which the lorry’s GPS signal indicated it was at the disaster site.