Bir-Billing paragliding tragedy: Greater Noida tourist falls to death minutes after take-off, pilot booked

PTC Web Desk: A 26-year-old tourist from Greater Noida died on Tuesday evening after falling from a tandem paraglider at Bir-Billing in Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra district, once again raising questions about safety at one of India’s best-known paragliding sites.

The victim, Shubham Dobliyal, was on a holiday in the state with his sister and three cousins. He had taken off from Billing with a local pilot, Vinay Kumar, and the fall happened only about six minutes into the flight, according to initial accounts.

Dobliyal landed in dense forest close to the designated landing area. The pilot reached the ground safely and alerted other pilots that his passenger had fallen. A search was launched and the body was found in the forest late that evening.

The police at Bir have registered an FIR against the pilot under charges of causing death by negligence. The exact sequence of events has not yet been established.

Kangra Superintendent of Police Kulbhushan Verma said investigators are looking into several possibilities, including whether the passenger’s safety belt came loose or broke during the flight. He added that only a thorough investigation could determine the actual cause.

Deputy Commissioner Hemraj Bairwa said the administration was examining every aspect of the case. Passengers on tandem flights, he noted, depend entirely on their pilots, which makes strict adherence to safety procedures essential.

Manish, a cousin of the deceased, said other members of the group had also gone paragliding that day. They came to know about the tragedy only after landing, when the pilot informed them.

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