Cover image via Indian Army PR
Soldier who miraculously survived being buried 25 feet under snow dies
Image via PTI
On 3 February 2016, 10 soldiers were hit by an avalanche at an altitude of 19,600 feet, burying them under deep sheet of snow.
The incident highlights the extreme risks that Indian soldiers face in manning the inhospitable terrain at heights of 21,000 feet under extreme weather conditions on the Siachen Glacier, which is known as the highest and coldest battlefield in the world.
The temperature there dips to as low as **-60** degrees in the winter.
This photograph shows the rescue operations by the specialised teams of the Indian Army and the Air Force in progress to search for the bodies of the soldiers hit by the avalanche in Siachen
Image via PTI
The Indian soldiers were on duty at an army post on the glacier at an altitude of 19,350 feet when the deadly avalanche struck
While specialist army and air force teams immediately began searching for the missing soldiers, the chances of any soldiers been found alive were so slim that the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi even offered condolences on Twitter last week.
However, when all hopes were lost and in what can only be described as a miracle, one of the 10 soldier has been found alive, the BBC reported citing military officials.
The Indian soldier survived some of the harshest weather conditions in the world for several days. He was BURIED 25 FEET UNDER SNOW at a height of nearly 6,000 METERS for 6 DAYS!
His name is Lance Naik Hanamanthappa.
The army says he is critically ill ahead of his evacuation on Tuesday. "He is critical but all attempts are being made to evacuate him to RR hospital in the morning. We hope the miracle continues. Pray with us," an army statement said.
