Tributes paid to soldier who died 18 years ago

Indian Army Chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag Wednesday paid tributes to the mortal remains of Havildar Gaya Prasad, whose body was found 18 years after he went missing from the Siachen Glacier in Jammu and Kashmir.

Gaya Prasad of the 15 Rajput Regiment had gone missing in 1996 while serving at Khanda Post in Northern Glacier area of Siachen.

Recently, an army unit deployed in the area recovered his undecomposed and fairly well preserved body, army officials said.

The Siachen Glacier is the world's highest battlefield, where temperatures drop to minus 45 degrees Celsius and even more during the winter.

His mortal remains were flown from Leh to Delhi and are being transported to his native Kurlia village in Uttar Pradesh's Mainpuri district. The last rites will be performed Thursday.

Gaya Prasad is survived by his father, Gajadhar, a retired Subedar, his wife Rama Devi, one son and two daughters.