4 escape paragliding crash in Dhauladhars

Four individuals, including two tourists, narrowly escaped a paragliding crash on Thursday evening when their gliders lost route and landed at Deol village in the high hills of the Dhauladhars, 30 km from Palampur.

The incident occurred after the paragliders took off from Billing for tandem and solo flights. Within minutes, high-velocity winds and bad weather caused the pilots to lose their route. Despite the administration’s ban on paragliding in adverse weather, the flights proceeded, endangering lives. Notably, three paragliding fatalities had occurred the previous week in Kangra and Kullu districts.

Eyewitnesses reported that the paragliders failed to catch thermals (warm wind currents) due to unfavourable weather conditions. Instead of landing at Chogan, the designated site by the Tourism Department, the gliders were pushed by strong winds to the high hills near Deol. Thankfully, the absence of nearby power transmission lines prevented a major tragedy.

The pilots managed to contact ground rescue teams via mobile phones. Rescuers reached the site promptly and successfully brought all four individuals to safety.

Concerns over safety in Billing’s paragliding operations have been mounting due to repeated accidents. Last year, Delhi-based pilot Rohit Badhoria died when his glider crash-landed in the Dhauladhar mountains. In 2019, Singaporean pilot Kok Chang tragically lost his life after his paraglider crash-landed near Jalsu Pass. A Russian pilot died in October 2024 in a similar incident near Billing.

Foreign pilots have also suffered injuries in crashes near Jhatingri in Mandi and Bundla hills in Palampur, with rescues often requiring extensive operations. Billing, a popular paragliding site, continues to pose significant risks, underscoring the urgent need for stricter safety regulations.