Brazilian paraglider falls to death in Skardu

SKARDU (AFP) - A Brazilian paraglider plummeted to his death in Skardu, an official told AFP on Friday, the fourth foreign adventurer to die in the area since last month.

Northern Pakistan, home to towering peaks including K2, the world's second-highest mountain, attracts tourists from across the globe with its breathtaking scenery.

Fifty-five-year-old Chaddad Raineri Rodrigo was part of a seven-member team trekking to the base camp of K2, but was the only one who chose to paraglide. "When he started paragliding his parachute burst and he fell," local police spokesman Muhammad Nazir told AFP over the phone from Shigar, where the accident happened.

The team also included two people from France, two from the United States, and one each from Bulgaria and Switzerland. The man's body has been recovered and will be returned to Brazil after consultations with his family, Nazir said.

Three Japanese climbers also died in two separate incidents earlier this summer climbing season. Pakistan has increased promotion of tourism in the area, seeking to boost the local economy. Last year more than 8,900 foreigners visited the remote Gilgit-Baltistan region where most of the peaks are located, according to government figures.