Paragliding Site In Manali Shut Down After Tourist’s Death In A Flying Accident; Operator’s Licence Cancelled

Six days after a 32-year-old tourist from Andhra Pradesh tragically passed away in a flying accident, the Himachal Pradesh tourism authorities decided to shut down the Naga Bagh paragliding site in Manali. In the preliminary investigation, the authorities found negligence on the part of the paragliding operator as a reason for the fatal incident. Scroll on to know more.

Paragliding Site In Manali Shut Down After Tourist Death

On January 7, Tadi Mahesh Reddy paraglided at Raison, a hamlet about 20 km from Manali. A sudden wind gust during take-off affected his flight and he fell 30 feet down, sustained injuries and died. According to NDTV, following this incident, the authorities closed the paragliding site in Raison on Monday.

The decision was taken by the Himachal Pradesh tourism authorities after a preliminary inquiry revealed negligence on the part of the paragliding operator. The investigation revealed that the flight in this incident was not taken from the site identified by the tourism department. It was actually taken from a spot 50-100 metres away. The Deputy Director of Tourism in Himachal Pradesh, Chirangi Lal said that doing this is illegal.

Besides closing the site, the licence of the operator has been cancelled. Furthermore, the authorities are doing regular checks at other paragliding spots and on paragliding activities in the area.

Also Read: Manali Snowstorm: 1,000 Vehicles Stranded Between Solang & Atal Tunnel; 700 Tourists Relocated To Safe Locations

Fatal Incidents In Himachal Pradesh In 2024

This tragedy comes a few months after a similar incident took place in Himachal Pradesh. In October 2024, two foreign paragliders lost their lives in separate crashes in Bir-Billing. The incidents took place ahead of the Paragliding World Cup 2024.

In one of the accidents, a Belgian paraglider collided mid-air with another glider, leading to a parachute malfunction. In the second one, the solo paraglider lost control of her glider due to strong winds and crashed into the mountains near Marhi, Manali.

Also Read: Pastry Chef Tempers Chocolate & Makes Chocolate Bunny While Paragliding In Switzerland; Netizens Say, “Sky Is Not The Limit”

This increase in paragliding accidents in Himachal Pradesh is quite concerning. We hope the authorities continue to monitor the paragliding sites in the state to avoid such incidents in the future.

Cover Image Courtesy: Canva (representative image)