Siachen braveheart Lance Naik Hanamanthappa Koppad passes away, nation pays tribute; last rites tomorrow

Lance Naik Hanamanthappa Koppad, the lone survivor of the February 3 Siachen avalanche that claimed the lives of nine soldiers till Thursday, breathed his last at the Army RR Hospital in Delhi. An Army statement confirmed that he passed away at 11.45 am on Thursday morning. Earlier, the bulletin by Army Hospital had said that his condition was deteriorating and he was not responding to medication.

“Sorry to inform everyone that Lance Naik Hanumanthappa is no more. He breathed his last at 11.45 am today,” an official said.

Also read: Koppad served 10 out of 13 years in challenging areas

Earlier, a statement issued by the Army had said, “Braveheart Lance Naik Hanamanthappa continues to remain extremely critical with worsening multiple organ dysfunction. His circulatory shock is now refractory to all drugs in maximum permissible doses and his kidneys remain non-functional. His pneumonia has worsened and the blood clotting disorder shows no sign of reversal despite blood component support. He is on maximal clotting disorder shows no sign of reversal despite blood component support. He is on maximal life support with aggressive ventilation and dialysis. He has slipped into a deeper state of coma.”