India: Three children among 6 killed as glass-coated kite string slits throats during kite festival

Six people, which included three children, lost their lives after their throats were accidentally slit by glass-coated kite strings during India's annual kite-flying festival.Hundreds of people flocked to rooftops and terraces to fly their kites during the Uttarayan festival in India's western state of Gujarat during the weekend.

As per reports, the victims bled to death after their necks got entangled in razor-sharp kite strings, officials said Indian news agency Press Trust of India (PTI). Around 176 people suffered injuries due to cuts from strings or because they fell.

A few participants coat the strings of their kite with powdered glass so that the cords of the opponent can be sliced in the air. The practice was banned in 2016, however, critics claim that it is rarely enforced.

A two-year-old girl lost her life when her neck was cut by a kite string while she was on a scooter with her father, said an official from Bortalav police station, as cited by the PTI.

It was said that the girl, whose name was Kriti, died while receiving treatment for injuries at a hospital on Sunday.

In another case, a three-year-old girl suffered a cut on her neck by the string when she was walking alongside her mother in the town of Visnagar on Saturday. The girl was rushed to the hospital where the doctors declared her dead on arrival, said a police official in Visnagar.

Seven-year-old boy, Rishabh Verma, was riding on a scooter with his parents when the string suddenly struck him, said an official from Aji Dam police station.

As per the police, the department received similar reports from Kutch, Gandhinagar and Vadodara districts, where three people died in similar circumstances.

While speaking to the Guardian, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) India's campaigner Nikunj Sharma had earlier said that people can suffer severe injuries by the use of 'Manja' made of nylon string and not cotton to fly kites.

“Unlike cotton strings these are non-biodegradable, don’t break easily and continue to cause injuries months after the festival,” said Sharma.

WATCH | PM Modi inaugurates kite festival in Jakarta

In the largest city of Gujarat, Ahmedabad, the police department warned people to avoid using the coated string during the kitefestival.

“Do not use deadly Chinese Manja to fly kites,” the department stated. The participants were urged by police to remain careful while flying kites, adding that the “momentary fun” of cutting someone else' kite can come at the cost of a life.

(With inputs from agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE