Paraglider crashes on building near Joginder Nagar; pilot seriously injured

A paraglider crash-landed on a building near Joginder Nagar this morning, leaving the pilot seriously injured. The incident occurred when Vijay Kumar, a resident of Bihar, lost control of his glider due to bad weather and high-velocity winds. He had taken off from Billing this morning at 9.30 am and was supposed to land at Chogan landing site near Bir after three hours but lost the route.

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Soon after the crash, local residents assembled at the site and shifted him to Joginder Nagar Civil Hospital. Later, he was referred to Tanda Medical College due to multiple fractures. It is learnt that he was serving in a multinational company but was residing in Bir for the last two years.

Paragliding has been banned in bad weather. However, learning no lesson from the past tragedies, which have claimed many lives, pilots continue to flout norms in Bir-Billing by undertaking flying activities in poor conditions.

The Special Area Development Authority (SADA) and Tourism Department, the two state agencies that monitor the paragliding activities in Bir-Billing, have turned a blind eye to the violations.

Bir-Billing is one of the best aero-sport sites in the world, drawing pilots from across the globe. But inadequate safety and rescue measures have raised a question mark over the viability of adventure sports activities here.

Over the past five years, 14 pilots have lost their lives in around 30 paragliding accidents, highlighting the need for strict regulations.