A paraglider was killed and a 16-year-old boy was seriously injured after a parachute caught fire during the Jhang Desert Jeep Rally on Saturday.
The accident happened while paragliding displays were under way as part of the three-day rally and cultural festival in the Thal Desert, near Rehmatabad in Athara Hazari tehsil of Jhang district.
According to initial reports, the paraglider’s parachute caught fire in the air before the craft came down. The pilot died at the scene. The injured boy was taken to hospital for medical treatment.
The event was the first edition of the Jhang Desert Jeep Rally. It began on 16 October and was due to run until 18 October, organised by the district administration to promote tourism, local traditions and the cultural heritage of the Thal region. Paragliding was among the attractions laid on for festival visitors.
What was meant as a spectacle for the crowds ended in tragedy, and the accident has raised questions about the safety arrangements for aerial displays at the event.
Officials have not yet established what caused the fire. Whether a mechanical fault, an engine or fuel-system problem, or another factor was responsible will only become clear once an investigation reports its findings.
The rally had drawn large crowds to the desert for jeep racing and cultural programmes. Saturday’s fatal accident cast a shadow over the closing stages of the festival, with visitors and organisers left in shock.
