Noida: A somber incident has shaken Himachal Pradesh, where a woman paraglider from Noida, Uttar Pradesh, met with a fatal accident shortly after taking off from the Bir-Billing hills in Kangra district. The victim, identified as 56-year-old Ritu Chopra, tragically lost her life in the mishap, which occurred on Sunday.
Ritu Chopra, the wife of former Indian Air Force (IAF) officer Ashutosh Chopra, had a penchant for paragliding, and the couple frequented Himachal Pradesh for this adventurous activity. They resided in Sector 25, Noida.
The crash occurred in the picturesque Bir-Billing hills of Kangra, where Ritu's paraglider failed, leading to the fatal accident. Upon realizing Ritu's disappearance, her husband raised an alarm, prompting a search operation. She was swiftly located and transported to a nearby hospital. Tragically, despite efforts, she was declared dead upon arrival by the attending medical professionals.
According to reports citing local paragliding associations, Ritu Chopra was an experienced pilot with nine years of flying experience, having undertaken numerous solo flights.
Her husband, recounting the incident, stated, "We were both in the air when an unexpected strong gust of wind hit. While I managed to navigate through the turbulence, Ritu's glider collapsed, causing her to plummet onto a mountainside. We were flying at an altitude of around 9000 feet."
This tragic incident isn't the first paragliding accident to occur at Bir-Billing. In a distressing turn of events last year, two foreign pilots, including one Russian and one Polish, lost their lives within a week during the Cross Country Pre-World Championship.