Havildar TV Patil was identified by a letter from his family found in his pocket
The frozen body of a soldier who went missing 21 years ago at the Siachen glacier has been found last Sunday by a group of soldiers patrolling the world's highest battleground - Siachen Glacier.
Havildar TV Patil, who belonged to Maharashtra, had fallen into a crevasse in February 1993. He was 30. Because of the sub-zero temperatures, his body had not decomposed, said sources, and he was identified by a letter from his family and a medical certificate found in his pocket.
His brother, also a soldier with the Maratha Light Infantry, died in an avalanche in 1987 while posted to the glacier. His body remains unfound.
Sources told NDTV that Havildar Patil, whose body has been found, was trying to collect air-dropped supplies when he moved away from the prescribed path and fell into a crevasse. As others tried to pull him out, his snow gloves slipped off, and he plunged several feet.
In August, the frozen body of Havildar Gaya Prasad from Maharastra had been found at the Siachen Glacier; in 1996, he had fallen into a crevasse there.
At more than 18,000 feet (5,700 meters) Siachen sees temperatures that can drop as low as minus 60 degrees Celsius.