Dharamshala: A 25-year-old tourist from Ahmedabad died in a paragliding accident on Sunday evening while attempting take-off from an unapproved site at Bangotu, located above the Indrunag paragliding zone near Dharamshala, officials said on Monday.

The deceased, Satish, was on a tandem flight when he and the pilot fell during take-off. The pilot sustained injuries, while Satish later succumbed to his injuries. This marks the second fatal paragliding incident in Dharamshala this year.

The accident occurred around 3:30 pm on Sunday. Satish, who was in Dharamshala on a family vacation, was first taken to the Zonal Hospital and later referred to Dr. Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College in Tanda, Kangra, where he was declared dead.

Vinay Dhiman, the district tourism development officer, stated that a preliminary probe revealed the flight took off from a non-notified site — a clear violation of the Himachal Pradesh Aero-Sports Rules, 2022, and a High Court directive mandating the presence of a marshal at all operational sites. “The site was neither approved nor had a marshal,” he said.

He further informed that show-cause notices have been issued to both the pilot and the operator, and appropriate legal action will follow upon receiving their responses. Meanwhile, police have launched an investigation into the incident. DeshGujarat