Shimla, Jun 15 (PTI) A paraglider pilot and his passenger, both in their 20s, died when it crashed to the ground shortly after taking off in Himachal Pradesh"s Kullu district on Wednesday, police said. The deceased were identified as Aditya Sharma (20), a resident of Ambala in Haryana and paraglider pilot Krishan Gopal (24) of Bhatkaral village in Kullu district, Superintendent of Police (Kullu) Gurdev Sharma said. The paraglider crashed soon after taking off near the departure point under Patlikuhal police station limits, the SP said, adding that an investigation is on to verify the cause of the accident. Several accidents involving paragliders have been reported in recent years from the area. Earlier on March 8 this year, two people were killed and another was injured during a paragliding accident at Bir Billing in Kangra district. Prior to that, at least seven people lost their lives in paraglider crashes in Kullu and Kangra districts in 2019 and 2020. The paragliding activities remained suspended for several months during the COVID-19 pandemic. PTI DJI CK