Kozhikode: There is still no information about Arjun, a Kozhikode native and lorry driver, who is suspected to have been swept away by a massive landslide that happened in Ankola, Karnataka, three days ago.

It took some time for his family to realize that the last GPS signal from Arjun’s lorry was traced to the landslide site. Arjun's sister has urged for immediate action to rescue him. He left home on July 8 and last spoke to his wife on the night of July 15. His sister also noted that he had been in contact with another lorry driver. 

"Arjun regularly drives lorry to Karnataka and usually returns within two weeks. Now, the GPS signal from the lorry is coming from the accident site. It was learned that no rescue operation is currently underway. They are taking steps to remove the soil and clear the road," his sister said.

Revenue Minister K. Rajan has stated that the Chief Minister's office has intervened and an urgent message was sent to the Karnataka government, the State Emergency Operations Center, and the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) on Thursday evening, with follow-up communications on Friday morning. The complaints about the slow pace of the search were brought to Karnataka's attention, leading to an agreement to expedite rescue operations. Sekhar Lukose Kuriakose from the SDMA has been assigned to oversee coordination.

Chief Minister's immediate intervention

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has directed Chief Secretary Dr. V. Venu to take swift action regarding the Malayali suspected to be trapped in the landslide. Following the Chief Minister's instructions, the Chief Secretary is in constant communication with the District Collector and Superintendent of Police at the incident site. Minister P.A. Muhammad Riyas confirmed that the Kozhikode Collector has been assigned to coordinate the response measures.