Manali: Paragliding Harness Breaks Mid-Air, Woman Tourist Falls To Death, Official Says 'Human Error' Led To Tragedy

A young woman was killed while paragliding near Manali in Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh. The deceased woman has been identified as 26-year-old Navya from Zahirabad in Sangareddy district of Telangana. She fell to death reportedly after her paragliding harness broke mid-air. The tragic incident took place in Dobhi village on Sunday, February 11. Following the incident, the paragliding pilot was arrested.

Shortly after Navya took off in a tandem flight, reports said, her paragliding harness broke and she fell from a height of about 250 meters on the slab roof of a house. She died immediately after the crash. Police registered a case in connection with Navya's death and arrested the paragliding pilot.

'Human Error' Caused Navya's Death:

According to Sunaina Sharma, tourism officer, Kullu, initial probe suggested that a "human error" led to the tragic incident. Speaking to news agency PTI, she said the paragliding site and equipment were approved, the pilot was registered and there were no weather-related issues. Preliminary reports indicated that the pilot allegedly failed to properly secure the safety belt of the woman tourist while paragliding.

Paragliding Site Temporarily Banned:

Kullu District Collector Torul S Raveesh ordered a magisterial inquiry in the matter and imposed a temporary ban on all paragliding activities at the Dobhi paragliding site. The arrested paragliding pilot has been booked under Sections 336 (act endangering personal safety of others) and 334 (voluntarily causing hurt) of the Indian Penal Code. Navya's body's post-mortem was conducted at the Regional Hospital Kullu.

Published on: Monday, February 12, 2024, 06:37 PM IST