Two more bodies recovered at landslide site at Karnataka’s Uttara Kannada district

PTI, Jul 19, 2024, 8:05 AM IST

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Two more bodies were recovered on Thursday during the search and rescue operations in Shirur village in Uttara Kannada district, where a massive landslide claimed lives of six people two days ago, officials said.

Vehicular traffic has been temporarily suspended on National Highway 66, where the incident occurred on Tuesday, they said.

After an intensive rescue and search operation by the local police, a team of National Disaster Response Force, fire and emergency services and officials of other agencies amid rains, four bodies were recovered by Tuesday evening.

“Search and rescue operations have been going on since the past two days and with the help of all agencies, we have recovered six bodies so far,” said Narayana M, Superintendent of Police (Karwar).

Among the four dead were members of the same family, who ran an eatery along the national highway.

They have been identified as 47-year-old Lakshman Naik, his 36-year-old wife Shanti Naik and their children Roshan (11), Avantika (6).

The two other deceased has been identified as drivers.

According to the officials, seven people were feared dead. Out of which, the bodies of six people have been recovered so far. Search operations will continue until all the bodies are recovered.

Following the incident, the state government had said that three gas tankers had pulled up at the eatery for a tea break when mud and rocks plunged down the hill.

The landslip triggered by incessant rains also swept away two of the three tankers into the Gangavali river flowing on the other side of the road.

According to the state government, the National Highways Authority of India, while building National Highway 66 “cut the hill steep instead of a 45-degree slope, resulting in the accident”.

Meanwhile, vehicular movement has been banned till July 22 in Seethalayanagiri-Mullayanagiri area of Chikkamagaluru taluk due to the collapse of hills and severe damage to the road surface owing to heavy rains.