SHIMLA: A 20-year-old tourist from Ambala and a local pilot died in a paraglider crash at Dobhi in Kullu district on Wednesday around 11 am. The paraglider crashed to the ground shortly after taking off at Fliyan under Patlikuhal police station in Kullu district.
The deceased have been identified as Aditya Sharma (20), a resident of Ashok Nagar in Ambala Cantt, and paraglider pilot Krishan Gopal (24) of Bhatkaral in Kullu district.
According to eyewitness accounts, the paraglider tilted to one side due to turbulence and crashed to the ground within two minutes of take-off. A police team from Patlikuhl police station rushed to the spot and immediately took the injured to a hospital in Kullu, where doctors declared Aditya as brought dead while Gopal succumbed to his injuries during treatment.
Kullu SP Gurdev Sharma said the cause of the accident is being verified and an inquiry has been marked to the station house officer of Patlikuhl police station. He said the bodies will be handed over to families after a post-mortem examination. The SP said a case has been registered and an investigation is on to verify the cause of the accident.
The Himachal Pradesh government has recently notified the Himachal Pradesh Aero Sports Rules, 2022, to regulate aero sports activity.
The state government plans to constitute a technical committee headed by the commissioner-cum-director of tourism to inspect and certify equipment being used by operators to ascertain the safety of those indulging in adventure sports. The committee will also scrutinize the bio-data of operators and pilots.
