A horrific accident took place in Dharamshala, a popular tourist destination, on Monday evening, July 14, when a paraglider collapsed mid-flight. A 25-year-old tourist Satish Rajeshbhai from Ahmedabad, Gujarat, tragically lost his life in the incident at Indrunag, on the outskirts of Dharamshala. A heart-wrenching video of the accident is now going viral on social media.
Kangra ASP Hitesh Lakhanpal said the accident occurred during take-off. After flying only a short distance, the glider failed to gain proper lift and crashed to the ground with tourist Satish Rajeshbhai and the pilot, Suraj. Both sustained injuries in the accident.
Dharamshala Paragliding Crash Video
Satish suffered severe injuries to his head, mouth, and other parts of his body. He was rushed to Zonal Hospital in Dharamshala and later referred to Tanda Medical College for further treatment. However, he succumbed to his injuries during treatment. Meanwhile, pilot Suraj is undergoing treatment at Balaji Hospital in Kangra. Police have informed Satish’s family, and his body will be handed over after the postmortem, an officials said.
This is the second paragliding accident at Indrunag in the past six months. In January, 19-year-old Bhavsar Khushi, also from Ahmedabad, Gujarat, died after her paraglider collapsed during take-off. ASP Lakhanpal said the police are investigating whether there was any negligence regarding safety standards.
In response to the latest tragedy, Kangra Deputy Commissioner Hemraj Bairwa has banned all paragliding activities in the district until September 15. While the ban is expected to affect the tourism industry, officials emphasised that the move was necessary to ensure the safety of tourists. These incidents have once again underscored the critical importance of safety measures in adventure sports like paragliding.