Key Takeaways
- A 55-year-old paraglider has gone missing in Chitral's Barum hills.
- The search operation was initiated due to inclement weather conditions.
- Local authorities and volunteers are assisting rescue teams.
A search operation is underway in the Barum hills of Chitral after a 55-year-old paraglider, Asif Mehmood, went missing following a sudden deterioration in weather conditions.
Mehmood, a resident of Wah Cantt, was part of a six-member group that took off from Zaini Pass, near Terichmir peak in the Hindu Kush, on Thursday afternoon.
According to Zahiruddin Baber, president of the Paragliders Association Upper Chitral, the weather turned inclement about an hour into the flight, forcing five of the six paragliders to land safely.
Baber stated that the association remained in radio contact with Mehmood for about one-and-a-half hours after take-off, but his signal subsequently went offline.
Local authorities fear that Mehmood may have crashed or been forced to make an emergency landing in the difficult terrain of the Barum hills.
Rescue 1122 teams launched a search operation after his disappearance, which was suspended overnight due to darkness and poor visibility but resumed early on Friday.
Local volunteers and administration officials are also assisting rescue teams as they search the mountainous terrain for the missing paraglider.
Last year, two American paragliders were injured after crash-landing near Rush Lake in Gilgit’s Nagar at an altitude of 4,694 metres, highlighting the dangers of flying in such conditions.
