Landslide at Karnataka NH 66: Malayali driver yet to be found 4 days since incident
By Aishwarya Nair | First Published Jul 19, 2024, 9:45 AM ISTA lorry driver, Arjun from Kerala's Kozhikode, is feared missing after a landslide on the National Highway in Shirur, Ankola in Karnataka. His phone briefly rang before switching off, giving his family hope.
Shirur: A devastating landslide on the National Highway in Shirur, Ankola, has left a lorry driver feared missing. The incident occurred on Tuesday at 4 am, when the 12-wheeler lorry, loaded with firewood, was traveling from Jagalpet in Zoida Ramanagara to Kerala. The lorry, owned by Manaf from Kozhikode, Kerala, was being driven by 30-year-old Arjun, a resident of Kozhikode, Kerala. He was last seen drinking tea at Shirur Lakshmana Naik's canteen before the incident.
The GPS location of the lorry was traced to the area where the hill collapse occurred, sparking concerns for Arjun's safety. His family and the lorry owner, Mubin, have appealed to the district administration to launch a swift rescue operation to locate Arjun.
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The search efforts are currently underway, and the authorities are working to recover the lorry and locate Arjun. His wife and sister have appealed to the state government to intervene immediately and intensify the search efforts.
Krishnapriya, Arjun's wife, has expressed hope that her husband may still be alive, believing that his second phone may still have charge and that he could be trapped inside the lorry buried in the debris.
Kerala Transport Minister KB Ganesh Kumar has responded to the situation, stating that he has been informed of the incident and has instructed officials to take immediate action to locate Arjun. He expressed disappointment that the information took two days to reach him and is attempting to contact his counterparts in Karnataka, the Transport Minister and Home Minister, to coordinate efforts and ensure a swift response to the crisis.
Kozhikode MP MK Raghavan has provided an update on the rescue efforts, stating that the Superintendent of Police (SP) of Uttara Kannada district is currently at the incident site. The Navy has also arrived, and the rescue operation is expected to commence soon, with efforts to remove soil and debris to reach the trapped lorry. The minister in charge of Uttara Kannada district is also monitoring the situation closely.
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