The condition of Lance Naik Koppad, who defied death for six days buried under snow, today deteriorated even as a team of experts from AIIMS joined in the efforts to save his life.
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The whole nation had been praying for him but the soldier took his last breaths around 11:45 AM on Thursday. The soldier, who hails from Karnataka, became the centrepiece of the nation’s attention after his miraculous rescue from the glacier on February 8. “Proud that martyrs like you served India”.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has in a tribute to Siachen braveheart Lance Naik Hanamanthappa said, “The soldier in you remains immortal”. Nine other soldiers from his regiment lay dead beside the Lance Naik when the rescue team reached him after cutting through many layers of hard ice.
Indian Army Chief Dalbir Singh Suhag condoled the death of the Lance Naik saying, “Hanamanthappa will continue to inspire generations in the Indian Army”.
Noted sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik has created a sand sculpture at Puri beach to pray for the speedy recovery of Siachen braveheart Lance Naik Hanumanthappa Koppad. He was posted in Mahore in Jammu and Kashmir from 2003 to 2006, where he was actively involved in counter-insurgency operations. He is survived by a two-year-old daughter. He was serving in the super high altitude areas of Siachen glacier from August 2015 and was chosen for deployment on one of the highest posts at an altitude of 19,600 feet since Dec 2015.
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Troops discovered Mr Koppad, with a faint pulse and suffering from severe injuries, after digging through the snow on the Siachen glacier in Kashmir.
