CHITRAL(National Times)- A search operation was under way in the high-altitude Barum hills of Oveer valley after a 55-year-old paraglider went missing following a sudden deterioration in weather.

The missing paraglider was identified as Asif Mehmood, a resident of Wah Cantt.

According to Zahiruddin Baber, the president of the Paragliders Association Upper Chitral, Mehmood was among a six-member group that took off from Zaini Pass, near Terichmir peak in the Hindu Kush, on Thursday afternoon.

He said the weather turned inclement about an hour into the flight. Five of the six paragliders, including Baber, managed to land safely, while Mehmood continued flying towards Chitral city.

Baber said 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. The operation 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.