After more than 70 days of intensive search efforts, the suspected remains of Arjun, a native of Kozhikode district who went missing in a landslide in Karnataka’s Shirur, and the lorry he was driving have been recovered from the Gangavali River.
Arjun had been missing since July 16, when the landslide swept his Bharat-Benz truck, loaded with 40 tonnes of timber, off the Panvel-Kanyakumari NH-66 near Shirur. Despite spotting the truck a week after the incident, efforts to retrieve it were hindered by the river’s depth and strong current.
The Uttara Kannada district authorities, in collaboration with the Navy and NDRF, resumed the search on September 21 after a temporary pause caused by challenging weather conditions. The authorities will conduct DNA tests on the body to confirm whether it is Arjun. His brother has already provided his DNA samples to the authorities.
Retired major general Indrabalan Nair was leading the search operations after it resumed on Saturday. He told the media that the dredging team from Mahindra did an incredible job in finding the lorry.
The case had garnered significant media attention, with Arjun's family and the lorry owner, Manaf, remaining in Shirur throughout the extended search.
Previously, wooden logs resembling those that were loaded onto Arjun’s truck were discovered during the search efforts. A dredging vessel was transported from Goa and had been stationed in the Gangavali River.