Shimla:

A day after the death of a Belgian paraglider, another paraglider from Czech Republic was killed in Himachal Pradesh’s Manali after she crashed into the mountainside on Wednesday, officials said.

Two paragliders have died in two days in Himachal Pradesh ahead of the Paragliding World Cup 2024 commencing on November 2 in Bir-Billing, considered as ‘paragliding paradise’, in Himachal’s Kangra district.

The deceased solo paraglider, identified as Dita Misurcova (43), crashed into the mountains near Marhi in Manali. She lost control over the glider due to strong winds, as per preliminary reports.

The paraglider was immediately rushed to a hospital in Manali, where she was declared dead, officials added. An experienced paraglider, Misurcova had been paragliding for the past six years.

On Tuesday, a Belgian paraglider was killed after colliding mid-air with another paraglider in Bir-Billing as his parachute failed to open after the crash, while 50-year old Russian national Aleksei Kozlochkov died due to suspected heart attack in his hotel room in Bir on Monday.

The Tuesday accident occurred when the two paragliders, who took off separately, collided mid-air leading to the death of Belgian paraglider Feyaret, while the Polish paraglider sustained injuries. Feyarets was a free-flying paraglider in his mid-sixties, officials said.

Ten paragliders were flying simultaneously and two of them crashed with each other mid-air. The Belgium paraglider died as his parachute did not open after the crash, Kangra district’s Deputy Director, Tourism, Vinay Dhiman told PTI.

The chances of accident increase when the free fliers venture into high-risk zones or inner valleys with little knowledge of the topography and the local wind conditions, he said, adding, “We are in the process of documenting the thermals in the Bir-Billing area with the help of experts to reduce the probability of accidents while flying.” “A proposal to install special towers in high mountains to pinpoint the crash sites in case of accidents is in the pipeline,” said Avinash Negi, Director of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports (ABVIMAS) in Manali.

In October 2023, three paragliders — Russian, Polish and Indian — were killed in a week while paragliding.

The November 2-9 World Cup will see participation from 130 paragliders from 50 countries. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Shimla/Manali:

A stretch of the National Highway-3 was closed for vehicular traffic following a flash flood triggered by a cloudburst in Himachal’s Kullu district, police said on Thursday.

No casualty has so far been reported in the incident that occurred late Wednesday, they said.

According to officials, the stretch between Dhundi and Palchan Bridge on NH-3, also known as Leh-Manali Road, was affected due to the cloudburst at Anjani Mahadev nullah in the Manali area.

Vehicles headed to Manali from Lahaul and Spiti via the north portal of the Atal Tunnel have been diverted towards Rohtang, the Lahaul and Spiti police said in an advisory on Thursday.

It also asked the commuters to travel only if necessary, drive cautiously, and stay aware of the possible danger en route.

A total of 15 roads, including 12 in Mandi, two in Kinnaur and one in Kangra district were closed for vehicular traffic while 62 transformers were disrupted in the state on Wednesday night, the state emergency operation centre said.

There have been reports of damage to a power project and a few houses but these are yet to be confirmed by officials who are assessing the damage.

The local Met office on Wednesday issued a ‘yellow’ alert of heavy rain at isolated places in Himachal Pradesh for the next four days till July 28. It cautioned about damage to plantations and standing crops, vulnerable structures and ‘kutcha’ houses in the state due to strong winds and waterlogging in low-lying areas.

A total of 49 people have died in rain-related incidents in the state, which has suffered losses of approximately Rs 389 crore, since the onset of monsoon on June 27, the emergency operation centre said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)