Sand sculpture at Puri beach to pray for Siachen braveheart

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.

Jotting "get well soon" on five-feet tall sculpture, Pattnaik prayed for Hanumanthappa.

About four tonnes of sand was used in the making of the sculpture replete with image of glaciers of Siachen.

"I pray to Lord Jagannath for his speedy recovery.

Students of my sand art institute and hundreds of school children also are praying together for our hero Hanumanthappa," Pattnaik said.

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.

In a release, the Defence Ministry said that he continues to remain critical with evidence of oxygen deprivation to the brain. There is also evidence of pneumonia in both his lungs.

His multi-organ dysfunction state continues unabated. The condition of Lance Naik Hanamanthappa was reviewed by the team comprising of Critical Care specialists, HoD Department of Medicine, senior nephrologist and the senior neurologist and a panel of experts from All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).