SHIRUR (UTTARA KANNADA) : Following a 72-day-long search, the cabin belonging to the truck of Kerala native Arjun, who went missing following a devastating landslide at Shirur in Ankola taluk of Uttara Kannada district, was finally recovered from the Gangavali River on Wednesday. Authorities mentioned that skeletal remains found inside the cabin could be of Arjun, a Kozhikode native, but DNA tests will have to be conducted to confirm the same.
The wreckage was found after an intensive search operation, involving divers, who resumed the third phase of search operations earlier this week. “The search team managed to look for the cabin of the truck, which was fished out around 4 pm. Munaf, the truck’s owner, identified it as belonging to his vehicle,” an official said.
Munaf thanked Uttara Kannada DC Lakshmi Priya, MLA Satish Krishna Sail and SP M Narayan for their efforts in tracing the missing truck.
DNA tests to confirm skelletal identity
“I learnt about the truck going missing on the evening of July 16, and appealed to the DC the following day. Rescue operations began immediately, but the weather was a big hurdle. Five days ago, the rescue operations resumed. I was very hopeful that Arjun might be alive, but this is a big tragedy for me and his family. He was very loyal,” he rued.
The wreckage, which was lifted out of the water, is in a very bad state. “The state of the cabin reflects the severity of the landslide,” said the official. This finding has come as a relief to the district administration, which was under pressure from the Kerala Government.
“We started rescue operations to trace the missing persons, but were deterred by inclement weather. We continued our operations by getting a dredger and a barge earlier this week. Along with the truck’s wreckage, we have found skeletal remains of a person, who could be Arjun. But this can only be confirmed following a DNA test, after which the body will be handed over to family members,” Lakshmi Priya told TNIE.
The DC added that meanwhile, search for Jagannath Naik and Lokesh Naik, who are also missing since the incident, will continue for the next five days. “If we are unable to trace them, death certificates will be issued to family members and compensation will be awarded,” she said.
Arjun, along with his truck, had gone missing on July 16, when the landslide occurred at Shirur. A search operation was immediately initiated, but could not be continued due to heavy rainfall. The third phase of rescue operations began earlier this week, where the team managed to recover an engine, which belonged to a gas tanker. However, the cabin of the truck was recovered on Wednesday.
As per the district administration, the landslide has so far claimed 11 lives, of which nine bodies have been recovered.
