Maharashtra tourist killed in paraglider crash in Kullu

Kullu, May 30

A 57-year-old tourist from Maharashtra was killed in a paraglider crash at Raison, 11 km from here yesterday. According to information, Gautam Kharat of Khare village in Thane was grievously injured as his paraglider crashed while landing during tandem flight in the evening.

He was rushed to the Kullu Regional Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries at night.

Kullu SP Karthikeyan Gokulachandran said a case had been registered and investigation was underway. The Tourism Department is also inquiring the matter.

Kullu District Tourism Development Officer (DTDO) Sunayna Sharma said the department had instructed the paragliding pilots in the district to strictly follow the aero sports rules.

She added that recently the department had taken strict cognisance of the alleged violation of rules by some paragliding associations in the district. A Rs 10,000 fine was imposed on an association. She added that in future, if any paragliding association violated the aero sports rules, its flights would be suspended.

The department had banned flying at the Dobhi site following the death of a 26-year-old woman from Telangana due to harness failure midair during a tandem flight on February 11. The flying was restored on March 17.