Noida Man Falls To Death While Paragliding In Himachal's Bir Billing

A major accident has taken place in Bir-Billing, the world-famous paragliding site in Kangra, Himachal Pradesh. A 26-year-old tourist from Greater Noida fell from a paraglider during a tandem flight and died on the spot. The man has been identified as Shubham Dobhiyal,
The police have registered a case of death by negligence against the pilot. Initial investigation indicates there is a possibility of the safety belt opening or breaking, leading to the accident.

This has brought up questions regarding the safety of tourists in Bir-Billing. 

The accident occurred on Tuesday evening. Reports say Dobhiyal had come to visit Himachal Pradesh with his sister and three other relatives. The other members of the family had also taken paragliding flight. 

On Tuesday, he took a tandem paragliding flight from Billing with local pilot, Vinay Kumar. Around six minutes after take-off, Shubham fell from the paraglider and landed in a dense forest near the scheduled landing site.

The pilot managed to land safely and a search operation was started. Shubham's body was recovered from the forest late in the evening.

A police case has been filed against the pilot. He has been charged with causing death due to negligence.

The police said they are investigating whether the passenger's safety belt had come loose or broken during the flight. Deputy Commissioner of Kangra, Hemraj Bairwa, said the administration is investigating all aspects of the accident. 

He said during tandem paragliding, tourists completely trust the pilot, and so it is very important to follow safety standards.

Bir-Billing is one of the major paragliding destinations not only in the country but also in the world. Every year thousands of domestic and foreign tourists come here to enjoy the thrill of paragliding. 

The accident has once again raised serious questions about the safety of passengers in tandem paragliding, checking of safety harness, maintenance of equipment and accountability of pilots. Many are now waiting to see what steps the administration takes to prevent such accidents in future.

(With inputs from Anoop Dhiman)