Arjun's rescue: after six days, the truck driver is yet to be found

Bengaluru: After six days of rescue operations for a Kerala truck driver, Arjun, who is suspected to be trapped under the earth after a landslip in Angola in Karnataka's Uttara Kannada, the search has extended to the Gangavali River- where the mud fell following the landslips- on Sunday. The Karnataka government informed us that 98 per cent of the soil on the national highway had been removed, and the trucker has yet to be found.

Two natives of Karnataka are also reported missing in a landslide. The army had stepped in to lead the rescue operation with a 40-member team led by Major Abhishek. Later, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also reached the spot, who never turned up at the site for the last six days.

It was learned that ISRO was going to provide satellite images of the accident site for rescue operations.

It was hoped that the location of the lorry could be found from the satellite images and rescue operations could be centralised. Earlier, a search was made using radar in the heavy landslide area, but no definite signals were received to confirm the presence of the lorry. The rescue operation was carried out today on the basis of the radar signal, but in vain. The signal, which could belong to the machinery parts, was received in the large pile of dirt towering at 6 metres, formed after the landslip in the middle of the highway. The Karnataka administration explained that the truck was not from the spot from where the signal was received.

It was on Tuesday that Arjun's lorry got trapped in the landslide. However, the Karnataka administration intensified rescue operations only on Friday, following the intervention of the Kerala government.