Dharamshala (HP), Oct 26 A 47-year-old Bulgarian national died and his much older British companion survived with injuries after they crashed paragliding near Rising Star Peak in Khaniyara, Dharamshala, police said on Monday.
The two foreign nationals took off separately from the Bir-Billing paragliding site on Sunday, and reportedly encountered adverse weather conditions mid-flight.
The deceased, Maksim Valentinovich Gavrilichenko, had arrived in India on October 7 on a tourist visa.
His British companion, 63-year-old Stephen Antony Purdie, was rescued without injuries.
A multi-agency search for the two continued overnight and concluded on Monday.
The Bulgarian national’s body was taken to the mortuary at Zonal Hospital, Dharamshala, for a post-mortem. Purdie was safely evacuated.
Kangra Superintendent of Police Kulbhushan Verma said an investigation will be made into the cause of the crash.
Meanwhile, the administration temporarily suspended solo paragliding activities at the world-renowned Bir-Billing site.
The decision sparked protestations from domestic and international flyers, who demanded a clear technical justification.
Many pilots said restrictions will disrupt their flying schedules and training.
Baijnath Sub-Divisional Magistrate Sankalp Gautam said at least six crash-landing incidents had been reported over the preceding two to three days.
He said changing weather patterns posed additional risks, particularly for foreign pilots undertaking long-distance flights.
The administration has suspended flying activities for two to three days as a precautionary measure, he said.
(PTI News)
