Ankola landslide: Karnataka to resume rescue efforts in a few days

Shirur: The Karnataka government will resume the rescue efforts to find three individuals -- including Kozhikode native Arjun -- who went missing in a massive landslide in Ankola once the water level in the Gangavali River decreases, said Karwar MLA Satish Krishna Sail.

“A dredging machine will be brought from Kerala’s Thrissur within two days. We are not concerned about the expenditure. The NDRF and SDRF teams will oversee the efforts,” Krishna Sail told media after a high-level meeting on Sunday. “The truck is trapped in the mire on the riverbed. It has a total weight of almost 25 tonnes, including the wood load. We need to create a cavity above the truck to be push the vehicle upwards with the help of exerted pressure,” he added.

“Mud, stone and a big banyan tree are above the truck that is submerged in the river. We will try our best to reach Arjun. Not just him, but two of our people are also missing. The daughter of one missing man told us to find at least a piece of her father's shirt. We are holding discussions with different people to overcome the challenges in the search," said Sail.

It was on Sunday afternoon that Uttara Kannada district administration ordered a temporary suspension of the rescue mission citing adverse weather conditions, including a forecast of heavy rain in Shirur for the next 21 days. The search was overseen by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Karnataka State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Karnataka police, Navy and Army.

Local underwater search expert Eshwar Malpe and his team of seven divers have been leading the efforts in the Gangavali River since Saturday. However, they withdrew on Sunday after strong currents posed a threat to their safety. In the visuals aired on Manorama News on Sunday morning, Malpe was seen venturing into the river in a fishing boat. Malpe said that high-tension wires from the snapped electric post are entangled with the logs from the truck. Roof sheets from houses that collapsed in the landslide were also found buried in the riverbed. "All these should be removed. Additionally, zero visibility is a major challenge for the search," he added.

Meanwhile, Kerala has urged the Karnataka government not to abandon the search operation. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has sent a letter to his Karnataka counterpart expressing the concern. Public Works and Tourism Minister PA Mohammed Riyas has suggested exploring other possibilities, including seeking support from naval bases across the country.

The Uttara Kannada district administration on July 19 confirmed that the truck driven by a Kozhikode native was among the vehicles trapped in the Ankola landslide, three days after the incident. Arjun, a native of Kannadikkal in Kozhikode, went missing while driving the truck loaded with wood from Karnataka to Kerala. Two Karnataka natives are also reported missing. So far, eight bodies were recovered during the 13-day search.