Police rule out weather, wind as cause of fatal paraglider accident

KUALA LUMPUR: Weather and wind factors have been ruled out as the cause of the fatal incident involving a paraglider who crashed into a tree in Bukit Batu Pahat, Kuala Kubu Bharu, yesterday.

Hulu Selangor district police chief, Supt Arsad Kamaruddin, said that the incident occurred due to a technical problem which has yet to be identified, resulting in the victim being stuck in a tree at a height of 12.19 metres.

"Preliminary investigation by the police found that the victim made two jumps on the day of the incident, and further investigation found that the incident had no criminal elements. Police have also opened an investigation paper classifying it as sudden death," he said in a statement today.

Yesterday, a local man, Mohammad Farhad Khalid, 44, died after suffering injuries while paragliding in Bukit Batu Pahat, Kuala Kubu Bharu.

The Selangor Fire and Rescue Department received an emergency call regarding the incident at 4.56 pm, and seven personnel from the Kuala Kubu Bharu Fire and Rescue station were deployed to the scene.

The firefighters took two hours to lower the victim, from Subang Jaya, due to the height and location of the tree.

Several Orang Asli who were at the crash site had climbed up the tree and secured the victim with lines from the paraglider to ensure that he did not fall.

However, Mohammad Farhad was pronounced dead at the scene by the medical team.

-- BERNAMA