Mangaluru
A large crowd, including local representatives, gathered to pay their last respects to Arjun, a 35-year-old truck driver who died in the Shiroor landslide. His body was transported to his home in Calicut, Kerala, by ambulance.
Arjun’s final journey began on Friday evening in a freezer ambulance from Ankola. The ambulance arrived at Talapady at 2 am on Saturday, where many Keralites, including MLAs from Manjeshwar and Kasargod, along with local council members, assembled at the border. The ambulance was briefly halted at the toll gate to allow the public to pay their respects, with many offering floral tributes. Social worker Eshwar Malpe, who had risked his life to search for Arjun’s remains, was also acknowledged by the crowd.
Kayyar, the Standing Committee President of Paivalike gram panchayat, expressed condolences, stating that many representatives had come together for Arjun’s final rites and offered prayers for his family.
Ankola MLA Satish Sail described the landslide as a tragic event that claimed 11 lives, highlighting the prolonged search efforts for the missing bodies. He confirmed that the Karnataka government would provide a compensation cheque of Rs 5 lakh to Arjun’s family.
