Ankola landslide: Missing Kerala lorry driver Arjun's family moves HC against K'taka govt over slow ops
Arjun's family, alleging delays and unscientific search methods, has approached the High Court against the Kerala state government after the Ankola Shirur hill collapse. Despite extensive joint operations involving advanced equipment and multiple agencies, no trace of Arjun's lorry has been found. The search now focuses on the river, with additional machinery expected tomorrow.
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FollowThe family of Arjun, a missing lorry driver from Kerala, has approached the High Court against the state government, alleging delays and unscientific methods in the search operation following the Ankola Shirur hill collapse. Arjun's lorry's GPS location was found at the crash site, yet his family claims that the rescue efforts have been inadequate.Â
The High Court has requested a detailed report from the state government regarding the incident. Additionally, the central government has sought a report on the actions taken so far. A High Court hearing on the case is scheduled for tomorrow.
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A massive joint operation is underway in Shirur, involving forces from both Karnataka and Kerala. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Army, Navy, Kerala Rapid Response Team (KRT), and other special experts are conducting the search and clearing operations. Significant progress has been made in clearing soil from the Shirur site and searching the Gangavali River.
Advanced equipment, including radar from Mangaluru and Bengaluru, Army radar, and Navy sonar, is being utilized in the search efforts. Heavy machinery, such as a Hitachi excavator from Hubli, is clearing soil up to 60 feet. Despite the extensive efforts, no trace of Arjun's lorry has been found even after clearing 70-80% of the soil at the hill site, prompting the search to focus on the river.
Karnataka: Army says Kerala native Arjun and his lorry not under landslide debris; signal traced to river bank
Ankola MLA Satish Sail stated that while the operation is nearing completion, the lorry has not been found near the hill and is likely beside the river. Additional machinery, including a Pokeline machine from Gokak, is expected to aid tomorrow's search within the river. Sail appealed to the people of Kerala for cooperation instead of filing cases, emphasizing that the district administration is also assisting in the operation.
As the search continues, the focus remains on finding Arjun, who is believed to be trapped along with his lorry and other missing individuals, including Jagannath and Lokesh.
