Army jawan battles 25 feet deep snow, -50 degree cold for 6 days to come out alive

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Feb 09, 2016: Call it a nature’s miracle or his will power to live, Lance Naik Hanamanthappa Koppad of Indian Army was pulled out alive by rescue teams in Siachen on Monday night.

Hanamanthappa was among the group of ten soldiers of the 19 Madras Regiment who were missing and presumed dead in a deadly avalanche six days ago.

He is said to be in a critical condition and efforts are being made to airlift him to Delhi’s RR hospital, a premiere medical institute of the Indian armed forces. 

Army’s search party has also managed to dig out bodies of four other soldiers whereas, fate of five others remain uncertain.

Lance Naik Hanamanthappa, a resident of Dharwad District in Karnataka, has raised hopes of rescuers who have been digging the snow desert for the past six days.

Ten Indian Army soldiers were reported missing after a massive avalanche hit the high-altitude post manned by them in the Siachen glacier on Wednesday last week.

The trapped army personnel, including a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO), were of the 19th battalion of Bihar regiment.