Russian paraglider hangs from high-tension wires for 2.5 hours in Himachal

MANDI: A Russian solo paragliding pilot was rescued after remaining suspended from high-tension power lines at a height of nearly 150 metres for over two-and-a-half hours in Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi district on Tuesday.The rescue operation was carried out near Mehad village, about 5km from Mandi town, where the local administration deployed a 146-metre crane to bring the pilot down safely.The pilot, identified as Evakin Alexei, had taken off from Billing in Kangra district before being swept off course by strong winds and getting entangled in power lines along the Pathankot-Mandi highway in the afternoon.“We were alerted by the locals and the power supply was immediately switched off,” an official said.Police and administration teams rushed to the spot alongside SDRF personnel and an NHAI worker, who used the crane’s basket to reach the stranded paraglider and lower him to safety.As a precautionary measure, bystanders spread tarpaulins and mattresses on the ground below.

The Pathankot-Mandi highway was temporarily closed to heavy vehicles while the crane was assembled and the operation was executed.An official confirmed that although Alexei sustained no injuries, he was taken to the zonal hospital in Mandi for a routine medical examination.The incident highlights a recent spate of paragliding accidents in the region. On Nov 1, an Austrian pilot was injured after crashing into fields in the Gumma area of Jogindernagar sub-division in Mandi.

Earlier on Oct 25, Bulgarian paraglider Maksim Valentinovich Gavrilichenko died while his British friend, Stephen Antony Purdie, was rescued after their solo flights crashed near Dharamshala.You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Chandigarh | Silver Rate in Chandigarh | Bank Holidays in Chandigarh | Public Holidays in Chandigarh | Chandigarh AQI | Weather in Chandigarh | Petrol Price in Chandigarh | Diesel Price in Chandigarh | CNG Price in Chandigarh | LPG Price in ChandigarhStay updated with the latest Chandigarh news.

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