Shirur landslip: Strong currents making search difficult, says Indian Navy

The strong currents in the river dislocated debris from the hill and adverse weather conditions have made the search for the missing truck from Kerala in the Gangavali river near Shirur of Uttara Kannada district difficult, according to the Indian Navy

The strong currents in the river dislocated debris from the hill and adverse weather conditions have made the search for the missing truck from Kerala in the Gangavali river near Shirur of Uttara Kannada district difficult, according to the Indian Navy

According to a release from Indian Navy, after the landslip on July 16, a request for assistance from Uttara Kannada district administration in locating the few personnel and vehicles, including the HPCL tanker that had gone missing, was received by the Navy. Responding promptly, two diving teams (comprising twelve divers and six Hydrographers with inflatable craft/requisite equipment) from the Indian Navy’s base at Karwar were dispatched to the site in Shirur immediately, the release said.

In coordination with the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team, the personnel recovered the tanker that had fallen into the river and by July 17 hauled it ashore, where representatives from HPCL then drained the gas, avoiding any potential danger.

Thereafter, from July 19, two Indian Navy teams, along with high-resolution sonar, have been searching for another missing truck purportedly driven by Arjun Mooladikuzhiyil from Kerala. A coordinated response by the Navy, the NDRF, and the district administration is presently under way to locate the missing personnel and truck near the landslip area. However, the strong currents and adverse weather conditions have made the search difficult, the release said.