Lagatar24 Desk
Uttara Kannada: The body of a woman missing after a landslide in Shirur village, Uttara Kannada district, was recovered from the Gangavalli river on Tuesday, raising the death toll to eight, according to police.
Officials reported that the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Fire and Emergency Services, and the Navy are actively engaged in search operations at the landslide site and in the Gangavalli river.
“During the search operation, we recovered one more body, which was of a 65-year-old woman. The decomposed body was found in the Gangavalli river. Search operations are underway to trace three more people, including the lorry driver Arjun from Kerala,” said Superintendent of Police Narayana M.
The Indian Army Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief Team, including officers and personnel from the Maratha Light Infantry Regiment, Belagavi, and the College of Military Engineering, Pune, are also involved in the rescue efforts. The team is equipped with advanced tools such as ground penetration radars, deep search metal detectors, rafts with overboard motors, and specialized climbing equipment.
Satellite images from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) indicated the possibility that a truck may have been pushed into the river during the landslide on July 16. The Army team is utilizing the Ferrex Locator – GPR (Ground Penetrating Radar), a specialized device for locating metals underwater and beneath soil, to aid in the search.
Vehicular traffic on National Highway 66 has been suspended following the landslide, causing significant disruptions in the area.
Despite the challenges, rescue teams remain determined to locate the remaining missing individuals. The combined efforts of multiple agencies highlight the severity of the situation and the ongoing commitment to search and rescue operations in the affected region.
