Karnataka landslide: Arjun's mortal remains likely to reach Kerala on Friday; DNA test results awaited

By Aishwarya Nair | First Published Sep 26, 2024, 8:17 AM IST

The mortal remains of Arjun, the truck driver who went missing in a landslide at Karnataka's Shirur, will be handed over to his family by Friday, pending DNA test results. The Kerala native's remains were recovered on Wednesday (Sep 25) from the Gangavali River.

Shirur: The mortal remains of Arjun, a Kerala native who went missing in the Shirur landslide in Karnataka, are expected to be handed over to his family by Friday (Sep 27). Uttara Kannada District Collector Lakshmi Priya confirmed that DNA test results are anticipated within two days, with DNA samples being collected from the body on Thursday (Sep 26).

Karnakata landslide: Kerala native Arjun's lorry found in Gangavali River after 71 days

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Kerala Forest and Wildlife Minister A K Saseendran has assured that the state government will cover all expenses for bringing Arjun’s body back home. The Kozhikode District Collector, Snehil Kumar Singh IAS, has been instructed to coordinate with Uttara Kannada authorities for the necessary arrangements.

Meanwhile, the truck cabin found in the Gangavali River will be moved to the National Highway by Thursday morning. An attempt was made to lift it yesterday using a crane, but it was stopped when the rope broke.

After 72 days of search efforts, the mission team successfully retrieved the lorry. Manaf, the lorry owner confirmed that Arjun was the driver at the time of the incident.

The authorities have confirmed that the search for the other two missing individuals will continue. The search efforts will focus on Lokesh and Jagannathan, both natives of Karnataka. However, there is no clarity yet on the whereabouts of their bodies.

Underwater search specialist Eshwar Malpe retrieved several vehicle parts on Saturday, including tires and a steering wheel, from the river. However, both the truck owner Manaf and Manjeshwar MLA AKM Ashraf confirmed that none of these parts were from Arjun's vehicle. Arjun had been missing since July 16. The search was conducted in three phases, but heavy rains and strong currents had forced a halt to the operations earlier. During the resumed search, both the lorry and Arjun's body were recovered.

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