Karnataka landslide: Rescuers race against time to find missing Kerala driver

Hope is still alive of finding three more missing persons, including a truck driver from Kerala, after a massive landslide occurred in Ankola taluk in Uttara Kannada district on National Highway 66.

Out of the 10 people who were reported missing, seven bodies have been recovered.

On the fifth day after the landslide swept away an eatery, two LPG tankers and a Bharat Benz lorry along with a stretch of the four-lane NH-66, over 50 rescuers were racing against time to rescue the trio who may still be alive.

The National Disaster Management Force (NDMF) is actively searching for the three missing individuals, notably Kerala-based Benz lorry driver Arjun and two other local villagers identified as Naik and Sanne Gowda.

Lorry found

The Benz lorry, driven by Arjun from Kozhikode in Kerala, was discovered buried in the soil through the use of a metal detector and GPS technology. The rescuers are hopeful that he may still be alive since he was inside the driver's cabin when the landslide struck and may have survived. Arjun's family said his mobile phone kept ringing till 8 am on Friday but he did not answer the calls.

Munaf Asha, the lorry's owner from Kerala, said that Arjun and his vehicle could potentially be rescued if the clearing operations progress swiftly.

The bodies of the couple who ran the eatery, Lakshmana Nayka (50) and his wife Shanti Nayka (45), Balaka Roshan (11), Avantika (5)and an unidentified person were found on the Gangavali river bank.

Karnataka and Kerala join hands

Karnataka and Kerala now have joined hands to try and trace the three people.

Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah has directed the additional director-general of police (law and order), R Hitendra, to oversee the relief and rescue operation. While Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan has deputed chief secretary V Venu to coordinate the effort to rescue Arjun and the other two missing victims.

For many years, it has been customary for lorry drivers to stop at Lakshmana Naik's hotel to have tea while travelling on this road. Sadly, tragedy struck during one such routine stop. Lakshmana, who spoke Malayalam fluently attracted Malayalam-speaking drivers from Kerala to his shop for tea.

The disaster occurred when a section of the feared 250-foot-tall hill from a height of about 500 ft broke away and collapsed. A strip of the highway has fallen ino the river Gangavalli that flows alongside the road. Most of the bodies were recovered from the river or from the pile of mud deposited along the banks.

As a result of this landslide, the Ankola-Kumata connection via National Highway 66 has been completely disrupted. The highway runs along the banks of the Gangavali River in Shirur, 10 km from Ankola on the Ankola-Kumata route. A few years ago, the hill over 250 feet high was cut vertically to widen the highway to four lanes.

Hill collapse

During the rainy season, water flows down from the hill. The hill had collapsed partially during the previous rainy season. The highway is flanked on one side by the hill and the Gangavali River located 15-20 feet below on the other side. Lakshmana Nayka's family operated a tea stall and resided near the river next to the highway. Travellers frequently stopped there for tea and snacks. Eyewitnesses reported that on Tuesday morning that two tankers and a car were parked there.

More than 1 acre of the hill suddenly collapsed in the early hours of Tuesday. Debris from the hill blocked a 60-metre-wide stretch of the highway, reached 30 meters beyond the tea stall, and slid into the Gangavali River.

‘Tsunami’

A wave resembling a "tsunami" surged due to the impact of rocks and soil, causing havoc on the opposite bank. Local social worker Manjula Naik stated that she had never witnessed such a large portion of a hill collapsing into the river and generating a massive surge of water.

A tanker truck filled with cooking gas and an empty tanker were swept away for kilometres due to the powerful force of the rocky hillside. A car parked near the highway tea shop, along with its occupants including the entire family of the tea shop owner, went missing, and more than 10 people were unaccounted for at first.

Seven bodies have now been recovered from the banks of the Gangavali River and the fate of the others remains uncertain. Eleven people were injured in the incident and hospitalised.

Operational challenges

Rescuing those trapped under the debris is turning out to be a daunting task, compounded by continuous rainfall, which hampers the clearing of mud and rocks. The SDRF and other teams are employing JCB machinery in their operations.

Meanwhile, experts from the Geological Survey of India (GSI) have examined the rocks and soil at the landslide site.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has also inspected the site. Earlier, the same team had conducted a survey in the district, identifying areas prone to landslides. GSI had warned about landslides at 436 locations in the district. NHAI claimed that the stretch of highway in Ankola, where the landslide occurred, was constructed four years ago and was in good condition.

The landslide was attributed to heavy rains, although geologists assert that natural causes alone cannot explain landslides.

Hill collapses again

The hill collapsed once more while soil was being cleared. As the rescue team operated the JCB, the hill collapsed again, prompting immediate retreat. The hills beside the highway have become hazardous, with unscientific hill cutting cited as the cause of the collapse.

According to police reports, a case has been registered against the head of IRE company and senior NHAI officials at Ankola police station, following a complaint filed by Purushottama Nayka, a resident of Shiruru, regarding the Shiruru Gudda tragedy.

Minister Mankal Vaidya’s point of view

Minister of Fisheries and Ports and Uttara Kannada District In-charge Minister Mankal Vaidya, who inspected the remedial work and soil clearance, criticized the disaster as a consequence of unscientific practices by NHAI. Minister Vaidya stated that the highway construction disregarded advice from local representatives, leading to the tragedy.

Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda addressed the Legislative Assembly, criticising the steep and unscientific cutting of the hill for highway construction. He lodged objections against NHAI for not taking precautions despite warnings.

Vehicular traffic disrupted

The collapse of the hill in Shirur has halted traffic on National Highway-66, severely affecting vehicles traveling from Hubli to Mangalore via the Ankola route, as well as tankers and other vehicles commuting from Goa to Mangalore.

(This story was originally published in The Federal Kannada)