After a Near-Fatal Fall on Everest, He Built a Rescue Team That Has Helped Save 400 Indian Soldiers

What is Tiranga Mountain Rescue, and what kind of work does it do?

Tiranga Mountain Rescue, or TMR, is India’s first professional mountain and avalanche rescue organisation. It helps locate, reach and rescue people in dangerous high-altitude environments. Its work matters because snow, thin air, severe weather and difficult terrain can turn a routine emergency into a fight against time.

TMR uses expert mountaineers, former High Altitude Warfare School instructors, ex-servicemen and civilian rescue specialists. Teams carry probes, shovels, beacons and other specialised equipment. They also assess terrain and train soldiers in avalanche awareness, mountain survival, search and rescue, and emergency response.

Since 2016, TMR has deployed 16 teams from Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh. It provides round-the-clock support and can mobilise within five minutes of a distress call. The organisation says its work has helped save about 400 soldiers and has supported Army operations across some of India’s harshest mountains.

How did Hemant Sachdev’s near-fatal fall on Everest lead him to create a professional rescue organisation?

Hemant Sachdev’s near-fatal Everest accident showed him the value of trained rescuers. In 2013, while crossing the Khumbu Icefall, the rope he held snapped over a large crevasse. He stayed attached to a second rope, but hung above the gap with his backpack and no certainty about how long the rope would hold.

A friend who was a professional rescuer turned back and pulled him out. Sachdev later reflected that skilled people and strong safety structures help people reach great heights. In January 2016, news of ten soldiers buried by an avalanche in Siachen brought that lesson back sharply. Nine died, and the survivor died two days later.

Sachdev asked why soldiers lacked similar specialised support. He met the Northern Army commander, prepared a blueprint and helped establish TMR later in 2016. The organisation began with three teams and 15 people, then grew into a professional rescue force.

How does TMR support the Indian Army during avalanches and other emergencies?

TMR works alongside the Indian Army by adding specialised mountain-rescue expertise. Its teams operate in high-altitude regions where avalanches, severe weather and difficult access can threaten soldiers. This support matters because rescue operations may require technical skills, rapid decisions and equipment not available through ordinary emergency methods.

At Army posts, TMR teams study the terrain and assess risks. They train personnel in avalanche awareness, mountain survival, search and rescue, terrain assessment and emergency response. During a distress call, teams mobilise within five minutes and use probes, shovels, beacons and other specialised tools to search for buried or stranded people.

TMR visits more than 200 posts annually and provides round-the-clock support during its deployments. Its rescuers include expert mountaineers, former warfare-school instructors, ex-servicemen and civilian professionals. The article says this combined approach has helped save approximately 400 soldiers and trained more than 20,000 Army personnel.

How large is TMR’s operation, and how many soldiers and Army personnel has its work reached?

TMR’s operation is now spread across avalanche-prone regions from Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh. Since its founding in 2016, it has expanded from three teams and 15 people into 16 specialised teams. The organisation deploys rescuers for six months each year and provides round-the-clock support in extreme conditions.

Its reach is measured not only by rescues but also by prevention and preparation. Teams visit more than 200 Army posts annually. At those locations, they assess terrain, identify risks and train soldiers in avalanche awareness, survival, search and rescue, terrain assessment and emergency response. TMR rescuers also receive annual training in Europe.

The article reports two major figures. TMR says its work has helped save approximately 400 soldiers. It also says the organisation has trained more than 20,000 Army personnel over the past decade. Together, those figures show an operation designed to strengthen both immediate response and long-term readiness.

What has happened to avalanche-related casualties in the regions where TMR operates?

The supplied article does not provide the outcome needed to answer this question. Its final sentence begins, “The results have been striking. Avalanche-related cas...” but the excerpt ends before explaining whether casualties fell, rose or changed in another way. It would be unsafe to turn that unfinished sentence into a specific claim.

The article does document important effects of TMR’s work. The organisation says it has helped save approximately 400 soldiers. It has also trained more than 20,000 Army personnel and visits over 200 posts each year. These facts show a substantial rescue and preparedness effort, but they do not establish a casualty trend across the regions where TMR operates.

A complete version of the article or regional casualty records would be needed to answer precisely. Based only on the supplied text, the defensible conclusion is that TMR reports major rescue and training achievements, while the change in avalanche-related casualties remains unspecified.

Why are mountain rescues in places such as Siachen and the Himalayas so difficult and time-sensitive?

Mountain rescues are difficult because several hazards combine at once. The article describes deep snow, poor visibility, extreme weather and high altitude. Steep, broken terrain can slow teams, while simply reaching the site may become a separate mission. Rescuers must also work carefully because unstable snow and crevasses can endanger them.

Time is critical after an avalanche or other emergency. Snow can cover a person completely, making visual searches impossible. Teams therefore carry probes, shovels and beacons to locate and reach victims. TMR’s five-minute mobilisation target reflects the need to begin the search quickly, even when travel across mountains remains slow and dangerous.

The Siachen tragedy shows the stakes. Ten soldiers were buried for five days; nine died, and the remaining soldier died two days after being found. TMR’s training, terrain assessments and emergency support aim to improve readiness before disasters and speed up specialised action when they occur.

What causes an avalanche, and why can moving snow bury or kill people so quickly?

An avalanche is a rapid movement of snow down a slope. It can begin when a weak layer in the snowpack can no longer support the weight above it. Common triggers include heavy new snowfall, wind piling snow onto a slope, warming, vibration or a person’s movement. This general avalanche science is not explained in the supplied article, so it is added as established background knowledge.

Moving snow is dangerous because it can travel quickly and behave like a heavy, compact fluid. It can knock people down, drag them downhill and bury them under dense snow. Burial can obstruct breathing, while impact with rocks, trees or ice can cause severe injuries. Cold and delayed discovery further reduce survival chances.

That is why rescue teams use beacons, probes and shovels, and why rapid response matters. TMR also trains soldiers to recognise avalanche risks and assess terrain. These measures support earlier warning, safer movement and faster searches when an avalanche occurs.

Key Facts:

📌 - TMR is India’s first professional mountain and avalanche rescue organisation.

📌 - Its teams use probes, shovels, beacons and specialised rescue equipment.

📌 - TMR has helped save approximately 400 soldiers.

📌 - A broken rope left Sachdev dangling over an Everest crevasse.

📌 - A professional rescuer friend pulled him to safety.

📌 - The 2016 Siachen avalanche pushed Sachdev to act.

📌 - TMR teams can mobilise within five minutes of a distress call.