The bodies of nine soldiers killed in the avalanche on February 3 at the Sonam base post on the Siachen glacier were brought down to Delhi on Monday morning — almost a week after they were located under the snow.
After being accorded full military honours in the capital, the bodies were flown to their native places, and handed over to their families. Rao Inderjit Singh, Minister of State for Defence, and Army Chief General Dalbir Singh paid homage to them.
“Paid homage to the Siachen Martyrs at Palam technical area. Rest in peace brave soldiers,” Mr. Singh tweeted later.
Ten soldiers of the 19 Madras Regiment were buried under 35 feet of snow after their post, at a height of 19,600 feet, was hit by an avalanche.
Arrives in Chennai
The mortal remains of Havildar M. Elumalai of Akkamparai in Vellore district reached Chennai by a special Indian Air Force aircraft on Monday.
The aircraft reached the Coast Guard Air Station in Meenambakkam at 9.05 p.m. Lt. Gen. Jagbir Singh, General Officer Commanding, Dakshin Bharat area, led the officers and soldiers from the three wings of the armed forces in paying their tributes to the soldier.
The mortal remains of the soldier were taken by road to Vellore.
Also read:
Lance Naik Koppad belongs to a joint family, which is mainly into agriculture, holding around 3 acres of land, which they inherited from their father, Ramappa Koppad, who passed away a few years ago. > Read more
The February 3 avalanche on the Siachen glacier that buried 10 Indian Army soldiers is a stark reminder to both India and Pakistan about the cost of military deployment in such inhospitable territory. > Read more
While we as a nation remain indebted to our brave soldiers who laid down their precious lives on the glacier, there is neither valour nor glory indeath due to cerebral edema or hypothermia, guarding a few kilometres of ice whose strategic value is ambiguous at best. >Read more
The Army and Air Force flew 200 sorties with equipment to get to the 10 soldier. > Read more
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Lance Naik Hanamanthappa Koppad — from a farming family to the Army |
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Why Siachen must be demilitarised |
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A peaceful way out on Siachen |
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Rescuing Hanumanthappa: a tale of a heroic operation |
