Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy attributed the deadly landslide in Karnataka’s Shirur village to “unscientific work.” The landslide occurred on National Highway-66 near Ankola taluk in Uttara Kannada on Tuesday morning, following heavy rainfall.
Kumaraswamy, visiting the area to review rescue operations, stated, “Unscientific work in the forest area and substandard construction have caused this tragedy.” The former Karnataka chief minister noted that five family members, who earned their living by selling tea, lost their lives in the landslide.
Rescue operations have been hampered by ongoing heavy rains. So far, seven bodies have been recovered, and efforts continue to locate three missing individuals, including a lorry driver from Kerala. Ground-penetrating radar and metal detectors are being used in the search.
Superintendent of Police (Karwar) Narayana M emphasized the concerted efforts of all agencies involved, including the use of helicopters and Navy coordination. Despite tracing the GPS location of the missing lorry to the landslide area, the vehicle has not yet been found. The entire hill collapsed onto the road during the incident, complicating rescue efforts.
Vehicular traffic on National Highway-66 has been temporarily suspended. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is expected to visit the affected area on Sunday to review the ongoing search operations.