The search for Arjun, a Kozhikode native who went missing in a landslide in Karnataka’s Shirur on July 16, has entered its ninth day on Wednesday, July 24. The Indian Navy and disaster management teams are intensifying their efforts using advanced technologies such as sonar and radar to scan the affected area. Retired army officer M Indrabalan is also assisting with sophisticated surveillance equipment.
The operation, now focusing on the Gangavali River, aims to locate Arjun and two others who remain unaccounted for following the landslide. Sonar and radar scans have detected signals suggesting metal fragments, prompting the deployment of a cutting-edge radio frequency scanner. This state-of-the-art scanner, previously used in the Sikkim flood to locate bodies and vehicles, uses a drone-attached scanner to probe depths of up to 90 meters and has a detection range of over two kilometers. The scanner’s proven track record offers new hope in the search.
Significant progress has been made in clearing soil from the Shirur site and searching the Gangavali River, with the involvement of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Army, Navy, and Kerala Rapid Response Team (KRT). Advanced equipment, including radar from Mangaluru and Bengaluru, Army radar, and Navy sonar, is being utilized. Despite the extensive efforts, no trace of Arjun’s lorry has been found even after clearing 70-80% of the soil at the hill site, leading the search to focus on the river.
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