The person was a free-flying paraglider in his mid-60s, the officers stated. (Representational)

Shimla:

A Belgian paraglider was killed after colliding with one other paraglider mid-air in Himachal Pradesh’s Bir-Billing as his parachute did not open after the crash, officers stated on Wednesday.

The accident occurred on Tuesday, 4 days forward of the week-long paragliding World Cup 2024 commencing in Bir-Billing in Kangra district on November 2.

The 2 paragliders collided mid-air, resulting in the loss of life of Feyarets, a Belgian, whereas the opposite paraglider from Poland sustained accidents. Feyarets was a free-flying paraglider in his mid-60s, the officers stated.

Ten paragliders have been flying concurrently and two of them crashed with one another mid-air. Feyarets died as his reserved parachute didn’t open after the crash, Vinay Dhiman, Deputy Director, Tourism, Kangra, instructed PTI.

Possibilities of accidents improve when free-fliers enterprise into high-risk zones or internal valleys with little information of the topography and native wind circumstances, Mr Dhiman stated, including, “We’re within the technique of documenting the thermals within the Bir-Billing space with the assistance of consultants to cut back the likelihood of accidents whereas flying.” This isn’t the primary time that tragedy has struck the famed slopes of Bir-Billing, thought of to be a paragliders’ paradise.

In October final 12 months, Polish paraglider Andrez died throughout a solo flight.

Kangra Superintendent of Police Shalini Agnihotri stated police have directed authorities to register paragliders, adhere to the designated routes and be certain that they don’t fly over army areas.

“A proposal to put in particular towers in excessive mountains to pin-point the crash websites in case of accidents is within the pipeline,” stated Avinash Negi, director of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports activities (ABVIMAS) in Manali.

The World Cup from November 2 to November 9 will see 130 paragliders from 50 international locations take part. 

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