He continued to be on ventilator support since his admission in the
hospital on Tuesday due to continued multi-organ dysfunction.
Lance Naik Hanamanthappa Koppad, whose miraculous survival days after an
avalanche hit an Army camp on the Siachen Glacier transfixed the
nation, died on Thursday morning, bringing the focus back on the
challenges of military deployment on the glacier, with Pakistan
indicating that it is willing to consider early de-militarisation. The
soldier of 19 Madras Regiment is survived by his wife and daughter.
“Really sorry to inform everyone that LNk Hanamanthappa is no more. He
breathed his last breath at 11.45 a.m. today,” an Army officer
announced, bringing down the curtain on one of the most dramatic stories
of grit and determination in recent memory.
Hanamanthappa was rescued alive on Monday night, having been buried
under 35 feet of snow, along with nine other soldiers, by the February 3
avalanche. He was flown to Delhi on Tuesday in an IAF aircraft and was
admitted to R&R Hospital.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the nation in bidding farewell to
Hanumanthappa. After laying a wreath on his mortal remains, he tweeted:
“He leaves us sad & devastated. RIP Lance Naik Hanamanthappa. The
soldier in you remains immortal. Proud that martyrs like you served
India.”
The bodies of nine other soldiers who were killed in the disaster have
been recovered but are yet to be brought down from the glacier because
of bad weather, Army officers said.