Shirur: The search for Arjun, a Kozhikode native who went missing in a landslide in Shirur, Karnataka, will continue today. The search will be conducted jointly by the Navy, a local diving expert named Eshwar Malpai, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF). If the river’s flow is found to have decreased, the Navy’s diving team will enter the river to search. Additionally, a small helicopter from the Army will assist in the search. Current assessments suggest that reduced river flow and favorable weather conditions are beneficial for the search. Items believed to be from Arjun’s lorry were found in the river during yesterday’s search.
The search in the river yesterday was led by Eshwar Malpai, accompanied by local fishermen. SDRF and NDRF members will join the search starting tomorrow. The search is resuming after prolonged uncertainty.
The Karnataka High Court had directed that the search for Arjun and two other missing Karnataka residents continue. The Kerala government had also pressured the Karnataka government to restart the search for Arjun. Karnataka has assured that the search will continue and has acknowledged the concerns of Arjun’s family, as stated by A.K. Shashidharan recently.
The landslide occurred on July 16 on the Shirur National Highway. Arjun’s truck, which was on the Mangalore-Goa route on National Highway 66 near Ankola, was caught in the landslide. The Bharat Benz truck driven by Arjun was found in the Ganga Valley River during the search.
