Himachal Pradesh: 19-Year-Old Gujarat Woman Dies After Paragliding Sortie Takes A Wrong Turn In Dharamshala; Visuals Surface

Dharamsala: A 19-year-old woman from Gujarat died, and a 29-year-old paragliding pilot was injured when a paragliding sortie went wrong in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh, on Saturday evening reported India Today. The victim, Bhavsar Khushi from Ahmedabad, had arrived in Himachal Pradesh for a holiday with her family.

About The Incident

According to Additional Superintendent of Police Kangra Bir Bahadur, Khushi opted for a paragliding ride at the Indrunag site. However, as she and the pilot were about to take off, the canopy collapsed, and both fell down the hill. Khushi was declared dead at the scene, while the pilot sustained injuries and was taken to a nearby hospital. The victim's body is being kept at Zonal Hospital Dharamshala, where it will be handed over to her family after the post-mortem.

A case of negligence has been registered based on Khushi's family's statement, and an investigation is underway. Sources stated that the accident occurred around 5:45 pm, during sunset, although paragliding at the site is permitted only until 5 pm according to safety regulations. Authorities are investigating whether any safety norms were violated.

About Another Similar Case

In a similar incident in Kullu on Friday, a 28- year-old tourist from Tamil Nadu was killed during a paragliding sortie near the Garsa landing site. The pilot in this case also sustained injuries. The accident occurred when two paragliders collided, one of whom was performing acrobatics. This caused one of them to fall 100 feet to the ground.

The tourist, Jayash Ram, died from his injuries, while the pilot, Ashwani Kumar, was grievously injured and referred to PGI Chandigarh for treatment. A case under sections 125 (negligent act endangering life of others) and 106 (causing death by negligence) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) has been registered, and further investigation is underway