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The Soldier In Lance Naik Hanumanthappa Remains Immortal, Says Prime Minister

The Soldier In Lance Naik Hanumanthappa Remains Immortal, Says Prime Minister
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi greets the audience as he prepares to deliver the 37th Singapore Lecture Monday, Nov. 23, 2015, in Singapore as he starts his two-day official visit to the city-state. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)
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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi greets the audience as he prepares to deliver the 37th Singapore Lecture Monday, Nov. 23, 2015, in Singapore as he starts his two-day official visit to the city-state. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)

NEW DELHI -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi today condoled the demise of Lance Naik Hanamanthappa Koppad, who was extricated alive six days after an avalanche hit his post in Siachen Glacier, saying he has left "us sad and devastated".

He leaves us sad & devastated. RIP Lance Naik Hanumanthappa. The soldier in you remains immortal. Proud that martyrs like you served India.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 11, 2016

The soldier died today, three days after he was miraculously rescued alive from beneath tonnes of snow at a height of 19,600 feet after the February 3 avalanche hit.

The 33-year-old soldier of the 19th Battalion of Madras Regiment is survived by his wife Mahadevi Ashok Bilebal and two-year-old daughter Netra Koppad.

A resident of village Betadur in Dharwad district of Karnataka, Koppad had joined the army 13 years back.

The condition of Koppad, who was admitted to Army Research and Referral Hospital here on February 9, had deteriorated yesterday.

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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.