Porter’s body recovered from Siachen

After a five-day rescue operation, the Army on Wednesday recovered the body of Thukjay Gysket, a civilian porter, who had accidentally fallen into a crevasse at 19,000 feet on the northern Siachen Glacier.

Gysket was part of a team to bridge new crevasses. The snow scooter on which he was with his friend slipped while crossing the bridge on an old crevasse on the afternoon of February 27. Gysket fell into the crevasse, which was six feet long and 2-4 feet wide.

Army officers said rescue operations by specialised teams were launched immediately, with five officers, 40 soldiers and 13 porters.

The operations continued round-the-clock. Using 20 types of equipment, rescuers reached a depth of 130ft where the body was located, an officer said. However, the operations were very slow because the width of the crevasse had to be widened by cutting the blue ice.

The Army employs porters in large numbers, who are from the Ladakh region and familiar with the terrain.

The body was sent in a helicopter to the field hospital at Hunder for the wreath-laying ceremony, officials said.

The incident comes after the death of 10 soldiers of 19 Madras Regiment in an avalanche that buried the Sonam base post at 19,600 feet last month. While nine soldiers were killed, Lance Naik Hanamanthappa Koppad was found alive after six days under 35 feet of snow. However, he died of multiple organ failure in an Army hospital in Delhi.

Tough task

Even after locating Gysket’s body, it was a tough task for the rescuers to retrieve it. Rescue teams first anchored and stabilised the mortal remains to prevent it from descending deeper following which it was pulled up to the glacier floor.

India dominates the icy peaks on the Soltoro ridge which it occupied in April 1984.

Soldiers conduct patrols at heights of 21,000 feet where the temperature plummets to minus 55 degrees.

Over the years, the casualties have come down significantly with improved training and provisions.

However, 2016 has been particularly bad for the Army and the nation as 15 lives were lost on the glacier in just two months.

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Siachen survivor Hanumanthappa’s condition worsens

The medical condition of Lance Naik Hanmanthappa deteriorated on Wednesday evening, said Army Research & Referral (R&R) hospital as a team of medical experts worked round the clock to save the brave soldier who was rescued six days after being buried under an avalanche in Siachen.

The soldier of 19 Madras regiment was rescued alive on Monday night after being buried under 35 feet since the avalanche buried their camp on February 3 and was flown to Delhi on Tuesday in an Air Force aircraft.

“His condition has deteriorated despite aggressive therapy and supportive care,” the Army said in a medical bulletin.

He also continues to be on ventilator support since admitted in the hospital on Tuesday due to continued multi-organ dysfunction.

“He continues to remain extremely critical with evidence of oxygen deprivation to the brain on CT scan. There is evidence of pneumonia in both lungs,” the bulletin added.

When rescued Hanamanthappa was found “to be conscious but drowsy and disoriented” and also “severely dehydrated, hypothermic, hypoxic, hypoglycemic and in shock.” But fortunately there was no cold exposure related frost bite or bony injuries to him.

Officials said his condition is being closely reviewed by a specialists comprising of Critical Care specialists, senior nephrologist from R&R hospital and a panel of experts from the All Indian Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).

Hanamanthappa’s family, wife and daughter, which hails from Koppal in Karnataka arrived in Delhi on Tuesday evening and is with him.

Meanwhile the bodies of nine other soldiers which have been recovered from the site are waiting to be the airlifted from Siachen. Officials said that bad weather has held up movement.

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All 10 soldiers declared dead

The 10 soldiers trapped in ice after an avalanche on the Siachen glacier were declared dead late on Thursday evening. However rescue efforts are still on to locate and retrieve the bodies, officials said.

“Demise of soldiers in Siachen is very tragic. I salute the brave soldiers who gave their lives to the nation. Condolences to their families,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted late in the day.

The soldiers belong to the Madras regiment of the Army and have been posted there recently. They include one Junior Commissioned Officer and nine soldiers.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar too expressed “heartfelt condolences” to the bereaved families of the soldiers “martyred in the line of duty.”

Earlier in the day a senior officer said that “rescue teams are braving adverse weather and the effects of the ratified atmosphere to locate and rescue survivors.”

A very large rescue team has been deployed to reach down to the swamped Army post. The rescuers are working at extremely low temperatures hovering between -25 to -45 degrees putting their lives at risk.

As per inputs received complete blocks of snow and ice had fallen on the post burying it very deep and clearing it was a very difficult task, the officer said.

“Heavy snow cutters and major equipment are being used to clear and cut the ice blocks,” the officer said. A rescue dog too was flown to the spot in an Air Force Mi-17 helicopter.

The major avalanche struck the Army post in Northern Siachen Glacier located at a height of 19600 feet in the early hours of Wednesday. The Indian Army has been controlling the dominant heights of the glacier, the world’s highest battlefield, since occupying it in April 1984 under Operation Meghdoot pre-empting Pakistan’s move which controls heights at the lower altitudes.

Pakistan offers help

The Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) of Pakistan tweeted an offer to help in the search mission.

However the Indian Army, while appreciating the gesture, declined it as “adequate resources and personnel have already been pressed into service.”

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