Rescue operations continued on Saturday in Shirur village in Karnataka to locate three people, including a lorry driver from Kerala, who went missing following a massive landslide earlier this week.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is expected to visit the landslide site on Sunday to review the search operations.
Seven bodies have been recovered so far since the incident on July 16, police said.
Equipment like ground penetrating radar and metal detectors are being employed to help with the rescue efforts, they said, adding heavy rains were hampering the search operations.
"Rescue and search operations have resumed again today. We are doing everything possible to trace those reported to be missing. All agencies are doing their best. We have recovered seven bodies so far and unfortunately, three more are reported to be missing, including the lorry driver from Kerala. Our entire administration is at the spot, helicopters were also arranged, Navy is also coordinating the operation," Superintendent of Police (Karwar), Narayana M told PTI.
Asked about the missing lorry driver from Kerala, he said, "We are trying to trace the lorry. Even though (as per family's claim) GPS (global positioning system) location of the lorry was tracked to the area where the landslide occurred, we have not been able to trace the lorry yet. When the incident occurred, the entire hill collapsed on the road. We are trying all possible things to locate the vehicle."
Heavy rains are hampering our search operations, he added.
Union Minister for Steel and Heavy Industries H D Kumaraswamy on Saturday visited the landslide-hit area on Saturday afternoon and alleged that "unscientific work" has happened here, indicating it to be the cause of the incident.
"On the one hand, work has happened in the forest area while on the other, substandard work has been done. There are several good works happening in the country but here unscientific work has happened. There were some issues related to the approvals given by the forest department. But there is no point in commenting on it now. It is a very sorrowful incident that five members of a family who were making a living by selling tea have died," he told reporters here after reviewing the operation.
Vehicular traffic has been temporarily suspended on National Highway 66 following the landslide.
