Kerala tourist, pilot dead in Himachal paragliding crash

Mandi, April 7

Two persons were killed when their paraglider crashed in Kullu district today. The deceased have been identified as Althwaf Bachu (23), a tourist from Kerala, and pilot Naresh Kumar (25), a native of Kullu district.

The deceased tourist had gone to Dobhi along with his friends to enjoy paragliding. Around 1 pm, the paraglider took off, but Naresh Kumar lost control over it. While Bachu died on the spot, the pilot succumbed to injuries at the Regional Hospital, Kullu.

Kullu Superintendent of Police Shalini Agnihotri said the post-mortem of the deceased would be conducted tomorrow. The family of the deceased has been informed about the incident. The police have registered a case and investigation is on.

In the past six months, over 10 paragliders have crashed at different places in Kangra and adjoining Mandi districts, injuring 10 persons.

Several organisations have  demanded a ban on tandem flights. Though the authorities have laid down rules and guidelines, these are hardly followed. 

Checks are carried out  only when reports of illegal flying are published.

Billing in Kangra district is among the top 10 paragliding sites in the world. During the World Cup in October last year, Singaporean pilot Kok Chang died after his paraglider crash landed in the high mountains of Dhauladhars. — TNS