Search operations resume at landslide-hit Shirur village after over two weeks

After more than two weeks, full-fledged search operations were resumed on Wednesday by the Navy, National Disaster Response Force along with other agencies to trace Kerala lorry driver Arjun and two others who were missing following a landslide at Shirur village in Uttara Kannada district, police said.

The incident which occurred on National Highway 66 on July 16 claimed the lives of eight people.

The search operations were halted on July 28 due to adverse weather conditions, high river current and other factors, they said.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had recently written to his Karnataka counterpart Siddaramaiah requesting him to resume operations to trace the lorry driver from Kozhikode.

Superintendent of Police (Karwar), Narayana M, said a full-fledged search operation resumed on Wednesday by the coordinated efforts of the Navy, NDRF, State Disaster Response Force, and the department of fisheries and port.

“Our police team is also part of the operation. We recovered eight bodies during the extensive rescue operation that we carried out last month in the landslide-affected area on the National Highway,” he told PTI.

“Now, search operation is focused on tracing three people — Kerala lorry driver Arjun and two other natives of Karnataka — on four places identified within the landslide-affected areas, and divers will also be part of the rescue operation,” he added.