Shimla: A day after a Belgian paraglider’s death, another incident claimed the life of a Czech paraglider, Dita Misurcova, in Himachal Pradesh’s Manali. The 43-year-old, who had six years of paragliding experience, reportedly lost control of her glider due to strong winds and crashed into a mountainside near Marhi on Wednesday.
She was rushed to a hospital but was declared dead on arrival, officials said. Misurcova’s accident comes just ahead of the Paragliding World Cup 2024, set to commence on November 2 in Bir-Billing, a renowned site for the sport in Himachal’s Kangra district, often referred to as a ‘paragliding paradise.’
The incident follows the death of Belgian paraglider Feyaret on Tuesday, who was killed in a mid-air collision with another paraglider in Bir-Billing. According to officials, both paragliders took off separately but collided mid-air. While Feyaret’s parachute failed to open after the collision, a Polish paraglider sustained injuries but survived. Feyaret, in his mid-sixties, was described as a free-flying enthusiast.
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Fatalities prompt safety concerns
Earlier this week, a 50-year-old Russian national, Aleksei Kozlochkov, also passed away in his hotel room in Bir, reportedly due to a heart attack. These fatalities have raised concerns about safety, especially as Bir-Billing prepares for the high-profile paragliding event. Kangra district’s Deputy Director of Tourism, Vinay Dhiman, said that accidents tend to rise when paragliders venture into high-risk zones without adequate knowledge of the area’s wind and topography. To enhance safety, Dhiman said that experts are working on documenting the area’s thermals.
Apart from that, Avinash Negi, Director of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports in Manali, shared plans to install special towers in mountainous areas to help with locating crash sites during emergencies. In October 2023 alone, three paragliders—a Russian, Polish and Indian—were killed while paragliding in Himachal Pradesh, underscoring the risks of the sport.
