Siachen miracle: Rescued soldier flown to Delhi hospital, wife says she wants to see him

Lance Naik Hanamanthappa, who was miraculously found alive after remaining buried in snow for six days, was today evacuated to the army's base camp at the Siachen Glacier from where he was flown to Delhi's Research and Referral Hospital in a special air ambulance.

He will be brought to the Palam technical airport and airlifted to the hospital, army sources said. His medical condition is still critical, but stable. A special medical team is attending him.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said, "My prayers are with Lance Naik Hanumanthappa who miraculously survived the avalanche at Siachen." 

Hanamanthappa, who hails from Karnataka, was found alive on Monday after being buried under 25 feet of snow for six days after an avalanche hit his post at the altitude of 19,600 feet close to the Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan where the temperature was minus 45 degrees Celsius.

The other nine personnel at the post, including a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) and eight other ranks of Madras Regiment, have died, according to Lt Gen D S Hooda, Northern Army Commander. "Five bodies have been recovered so far and four bodies have been identified," he has said.

Meanwhile, Lance Naik Hanamanthappa's family members in Dharwad breathed a sigh of relief after news of him being rescued alive reached them. His wife told ANI, "I am very happy, I want to go and see him."

I am very happy, I want to go and see him, says wife of Lance Naik Hanumanthappa, in Dharwad, Karnataka. pic.twitter.com/U1Lrc2zIbG

— ANI (@ANI_news) February 9, 2016

(With Agency Inputs)