Bengaluru: The Karnataka government clarified on Wednesday that a truck was located in the Gangavali river amid an ongoing search for Kozhikode native Arjun who was missing after a landslide in Shirur. 

"One truck has been definitively located in the water and that the naval deep divers will attempt anchoring shortly. The long arm boomer excavator will be used to dredge the river. Advanced drone based Intelligent Underground Buried Object Detection system was also deployed for search. The Coast Guard will do a helicopter search for missing bodies in water," Karnataka Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda posted on social media platform X.

The search for Arjun, the Kozhikode native who went missing in a landslide in Karnataka's Shirur on July 16, entered the ninth day on Wednesday. A long boom excavator was brought to the site on Wednesday morning to help in the search operation in Gangavali  river, where a sonar signal indicating the presence of metal parts has been detected. The excavator will help remove mud from a depth of 60 metres. A signal was received in the same area during a radar check. A state-of-the-art radio frequency scanner will also be deployed to locate Arjun and two others who are missing.

The Navy and disaster management forces are using advanced technology, including sonar and radar, in the search operation. Former army officer M Indrabalan will also join the mission with sophisticated surveillance equipment.

The investigation initially used Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), a geophysical method that uses radio waves to capture images below the Earth's surface. Four teams of experts from the National Institute of Technology (NIT) in Surathkal, Dakshina Kannada district, have also arrived to assist in the search.

'Warned against moving mud  after landslide'
Meanwhile, the Karnataka government stated on Wednesday that there was no delay in starting the rescue mission to find Arjun, a Kozhikode native, who went missing in the Shirur landslide. As soon as the complaint about Arjun's disappearance was received, the search began. The government informed the High Court that it received the complaint on the night of July 19 and started the search on July 20. The High Court will hear the case again on Wednesday.

The Karnataka High Court had issued notices to the central and state governments, stating that the rescue mission to find Arjun was a serious matter. Both governments are required to respond on Wednesday. Following this, the state government submitted details of the rescue mission for Arjun to the High Court.

On July 16, the meteorological department had declared a red alert in Shirur. A landslide occurred on National Highway 66 at 9 am, burying vehicles and a tea shop. Many people were injured. Rescue operations started at 10 am, and traffic was diverted. National and state disaster management forces, the fire brigade, the navy, and the district administration launched a search operation. According to the affidavit, there was a warning not to move the soil quickly as operating large machines could trigger further landslides.

On July 19, a complaint was received that Arjun and his truck were missing. A preliminary search was soon conducted around the river. The government also stated that an expert inspection was conducted in the following days.