KATHMANDU, Dec 08, 2013 (AFP) - A South Korean paraglider plunged to his death at a Nepalese tourist resort after his emergency parachute failed to open, local officials said Sunday.
An aviation official said the 41-year-old, who has not been named, was an experienced paraglider who had made previous trips to Pokhara, 210 kilometres (130 miles) west of the capital Kathmandu.
"He died yesterday while paragliding solo, when his emergency parachute failed and sent him hurling to the ground," Pratap Babu Tiwari, head of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal in Pokhara, told AFP.
"He was not affiliated with any of our tourism companies and did not take the required permission to paraglide in Pokhara," Tiwari added.
A local police official said the accident occurred around 4:00 pm local time.
Pokhara has long been a popular destination for adrenalin junkies, thanks to its stunning mountain scenery and clear, dry winters.
More than 500,000 tourists visit Nepal every year and tourism is one of the major contributors to the economy of the impoverished Himalayan nation.
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