Those who serve for the
Nation ~ the Army are the only real heroes. Army life no doubt is most
sternous…… the one at high glaciers of Siachen & Kargil are tougher
still….soldiers stay away from their families, their beloved ones, with little
or no communication ….. but life at Kargil is tougher…. ~ there would be
freezing temperatures, life in tents and most strikingly no human connect at
all – the next person could be miles away and supplies could come at a long
frequency……… the depression could often lead to mental disorders… yet soldiers
struggle, survive and sacrifice their today for our tomorrow.
The avalanche at the
Siachen glacier, in which ten army soliders were reported killed, is the latest chapter of a
three-decade old saga of a frozen conflict on world's highest battleground.
Since 1984, the glacier has been fiercely contested by both India and Pakistan,
with massive amounts of resources and manpower spent to fight what many say is
a pointless fight. The saviours of the Nation
lost their lives after a massive avalanche ripped off an army post at the
glacier.
On February 3, an 800 x
400 ft wall of ice broke off and overwhelmed an Indian Army post on the Siachen
glacier, the world's highest battlefield. The debris, including massive
boulders of ice the size of a small room, spread over 800 x 1000 metres. It is not for the first time, four years ago, the Siachen glacier had seen
an even bigger avalanche tragedy, on the Pakistani side of the standoff. More
than 120 Pakistani soldiers died after being buried under the snow and India
offered help. The majority of deaths which have taken place in Siachen have
taken place not because of armed combat, but because of the weather conditions.
In temparatures which can go down to -50 degrees celsius, soldiers suffer frostbite, a shortage of
oxygen and a loss of appetite.
Now six days after a
devastating avalanche overran ten brave Indian soldiers at the world's highest
battlefield in Siachen, Lance Naik Hanumanthappa was brought out alive, as he
survived what nine of his comrades could not. The dogged determination of over
150 soldiers helped by two canines, Dot and Misha -- besides earth-penetrating
radars and special ice-cutting equipment -- rescued Lance Naik Hanumanthappa
Koppad, who was buried under tonnes of ice at 19,500 ft on the Siachen glacier
for six days.
According to Army
sources, here is how the rescue team reached Hanamanthappa:
- On February 3, an
800ft by 400ft ice wall broke off and covered an Army Post located under tones
of ice debris at 19500 feet in the Northern Glacier in Siachen, Jammy and
Kashmir.
- The ice debris
covered an area of 800x1000 metres with a depth of 25 to 30 feet. Massive ice boulders, some the size of a
Small Room had covered the post.
- The rescue teams
had the arduous tasks of breaking through 25-30 ft of blue ice which is harder
than concrete and physically chopped off the ice blocks inch by inch.
- Approximately over
150 trained and acclimatized Army troops including specialized teams trained in
glaciated terrain were moved into the avalanche site and round the clock rescue
operations were carried out despite extreme weather conditions, where day temperatures
were at an average of -30 degree centigrade and night temperatures were below
-55 degree centigrade.
- Medical teams and
equipment were also moved and a medical aid post was established to provide
emergency medical cover at the rescue location. Specialized rescue dogs were
also pushed into service.
- Specialized digging
and boring equipment, like Rock Drills, Electrical Saws and earth augurs were
flown in. In addition, deep penetration
radars capable of detecting metallic objects and heat signatures at a depth of
20 meters and radio signal detectors were also flown in using Air Force fixed
wing aircrafts and Army Aviation helicopters.
- In spite of adverse
weather conditions and poor visibility, the Army aviation helicopters were
employed continuously for ferrying troops and rescue material and stores for
the search operations.
- Using the
specialized equipment the rescue teams were able to identify locations, where
digging were carried out, however, rescue efforts were frequently hampered by
high intensity winds and blizzards.
- By February eight
the rescue teams were able to reach the location of the buried habitat and
Hanamanthappa was recovered alive. The nine mortal remains of the other
soldiers who were also snowed in were extricated from the avalanche site.
- On recovery, he was
found to be conscious but drowsy and disoriented. He was severely dehydrated, hypothermic,
hypoxic, hypoglycaemic and in shock. He
was immediately resuscitated by the doctors at the site, who had been there for
the past 5 days in the hope of a survivor.
- He was treated with
warm intravenous fluids, humidified warm oxygen and passive external
re-warming. He was flown out from the
site on February 9 by helicopter along with a Medical Specialist to the Siachen
base camp, from where he to Partapur Military Hospital and later flown by C-17
fixed wing aircraft to Research &
Referral hospital, New Delhi.
Meanwhile, Koppad remains
extremely critical and is expected to have a stormy course in the next 24 to 48
hours due to the complications caused by re-warming and establishment of blood
flow to the cold parts of the body. Fortunately, there was no cold
exposure-related frost bite or bony injuries to him, a medical bulletin issued
by the hospital said.
The concerned Nation is praying
for the Brave Solider from Hubballi Who
cheated death for 120 hours even as his native Betadur village erupted with
joy, awaiting the return of its brave son. Hanumanthappa lies in comatose and a state of
shock with low blood pressure, the nation is lauding his extraordinary
endurance and an indomitable spirit of survival.
Hanumanthappa was a part
of the 10 Madras regiment, and was recently posted to Siachen. The soldier who was protecting the nation at
a height of 19000 feet and a temperature of minus 45 degrees Celsius, has a
wife and a one and a half year old daughter waiting at home. RR Hospital's medical bulletin said the
soldier “remains extremely critical and is expected to have a stormy course in
the next 24-48 hours”.
The entire is praying for
Hanumanthappa Koppad’s recovery. Mahadevi (Jayashri), wife of Lance Naik
Hanumanthappa Koppad, termed his survival a ‘rebirth’. “If he has survived
miraculously, it is mainly because of his mother’s prayers,” she said. The great survivor was flown out in a helicopter to the Siachen base
camp, from where he was brought to the Thois airbase. Within hours, he was
transported on an Indian Air Force aircraft, accompanied by critical care
specialists, to New Delhi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who visited the
hospital on Tuesday, praised “the endurance & indomitable spirit of Lance
Naik Hanumanthappa”, and called him “an outstanding soldier.”
Lance Naik Hanumanthappa has
beaten the most incredible odds and has survived six days under ice. It is not
explainable. It really isn’t. The training and mental-preparedness may have
played cameo role in the initial hours or a day – it is God’s wish and Nation’s
fortune that he is alive. We pray for his speedy recovery and well-being
bowing our heads in humility to the Power that kept him alive …. Nation needs him.
With reverence
S. Sampathkumar
10th Feb 2016.
Collated from various
sources – primarily the Indian Express, the Hindu & Firstpost.
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