An army soldier who was miraculously found alive after being buried underneath 25 feet of snow in the Siachen glacier for six days was rushed to a Delhi hospital in a critical condition with a weak pulse on Tuesday. Lance Naik Hanamanthappa Koppad was the lone survivor out of group of ten Indian soldiers that was wiped out by an avalanche in the region last week.
As news spread of his rescue, his family erupted in joy and hundreds of villagers gathered at Dharwad in northern Karnataka. “He is named after the god Hanuman, hence he triumphed death. We are all overwhelmed. We cannot stop crying,” his father told news channel CNN-IBN.
His wife told news agencies that she was very happy and would go to a temple to offer her prayers. “I want to go see him,” she told ANI.
But experts said the jawan had little chance of survival as victims trapped in such harsh conditions – Siachen regularly reports temperatures in the range of -45 degree C – usually suffer extensive organ damage.
He was flown to Delhi in a C-17 aircraft of the Indian Air Force and taken to the Army Research & Referral Hospital in the Capital. A special medical team was accompanying him and doctors said his condition was stable but not out of danger.
“My prayers are with Lance Naik Hanumanthappa who miraculously survived the avalanche at Siachen,” defence minister Manohar Parrikar tweeted.
Social media also erupted in euphoria amid an outpouring of prayers for the jawan. But army authorities confirmed none of the other soldiers survived the avalanche.
“Five bodies have been recovered so far and four bodies have been identified. All other soldiers are regrettably no more with us,” Lt Gen DS Hooda told PTI.
Siachen is considered the highest battlefield in the world where thousands of soldiers have died over the decades, more often from the harsh conditions than from military offences. India moved into the Saltoro Range and the Siachen glacier in the mid-1980s following conflict with Pakistan over the disputed region.
.
No comments:
Post a Comment