Ankola (Karnataka): A team of local divers arrived in Shiroor to locate and retrieve Kerala native Arjun's lorry from the riverbed. Led by expert Eshwar Malpe from Malpe near Udupi, the group of eight includes divers who have already descended twice into the strong currents.

Upon their arrival in Shiroor on Saturday morning with specialised equipment, two divers initially went underwater for inspection. During this operation, the rope securing Eshwar Malpe to the team broke, and he was carried a short distance by the current.

The divers began by investigating areas where previous signals had been detected. The mission now focuses on one of the four key locations in the river, with the team's assessment indicating that Arjun's lorry may be in this area. The strong currents and ongoing showers in the region add to the complexity of their search efforts.

Manjeshwar MLA  A K M Ashraf told Mathrubhumi News that Eshwar Malpe dived into the bottom three times.

"The river is experiencing a massive inflow, and a new signal has been detected near an earth mound in the river, approximately 130 metres from the shore. This area has now become the focus of the intensified search efforts. However, the results of the diving operations remain unclear. Meanwhile, a technical issue occurred when the rope securing one of the divers broke, causing him to surface 150 metres from the targeted location. The river’s high water levels and strong currents are complicating the search. Overcoming these challenges is crucial for locating the truck soon," said Ashraf.