Delhi: On a day that Siachen braveheart Lance Naik Hanumanthappa Koppad died leaving more than a billion haearts saddened, three days after miraculously being rescued alive from beneath tonnes of snow following an avalanche that hit his post at an height of 19,600 feet, Pakistan said on Thursday that time had come for both the countries to resolve the issue.
"We hope Siachen issue is treated in an urgent manner between our two countries so more lives aren't lost,"" Pakistan High commissioner Abdul Basit said.
He reiterated, "We strongly feel that time has come to ensure more lives are not lost under harsh conditions in Siachen," as per ANI.
Meanwhile, a senior army official had said today, "Lance Naik Hanamanthappa is no more. He breathed his last at 11:45 am today," as per PTI.
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.
Dubbed as the 'miracle man', the soldier had managed to stay alive for six days buried under the snow after an avalanche struck their post on February 3.
His condition was reviewed by a team of doctors comprising critical care specialists, the HoD Dept of Medicine, a senior nephrologist, a senior neurologist of the army hospital and a panel of experts from AIIMS yesterday.
(With Agency inputs)
