Uttarayan Festivities Marred by Multiple Fatalities Across Gujarat
Uttarayan celebrations in Gujarat took a tragic turn this year. Several families lost loved ones, including children, to deadly kite strings known as manja. The incidents occurred on January 14 and 15, keeping paramedics from the 108 emergency services extremely busy with distress calls.
Surat District Witnesses Heartbreaking Losses
Surat district reported at least three fatal cases involving manja. An eight-year-old boy named Riyansh Borse died on Thursday. He was cycling with a friend in Anand Villa Society in Jahangirpura when a dangling kite thread sliced his throat. Medical personnel rushed him to a private hospital in Rander, but he succumbed to excessive blood loss during the journey. Borse's father works for a private company in Hazira. The family originally hails from Dhulia district in Maharashtra. They took his body back to their native place for final rites.
In another Surat incident, 23-year-old Prince Batham died on Wednesday. Manja cut his throat while he was passing near Shyam Mandir in Althan. Batham worked as a sales executive for a leading beverage company. He was posted at a mall in Vesu and lived with his family in the Sachin area. He was on his way to meet a friend when the accident happened. Batham was the youngest of three brothers. His family comes from Kannauj in Uttar Pradesh.
A third tragedy struck in Surat's Sachin area. A 14-year-old girl named Mantu died on Thursday after falling from a terrace while flying kites. She lived in Jay Radhe Society. Her father works as a textile laborer in a local unit.
Other Districts Report Similar Fatal Incidents
Bharuch district saw a death in Pilundra village. Rahul Parmar, aged 35, died on Wednesday. A kite string slit his throat while he was riding a motorcycle.
In Anand district, an eight-year-old boy suffered critical neck injuries from a kite string. He was traveling on a motorcycle with his father, sitting on the fuel tank, from Badalpur to Ralaj. Doctors at multiple hospitals tried to save him, but he could not survive.
Aravalli district reported the death of 17-year-old Tirth Patel on Wednesday. A kite string severely injured his neck, causing immediate death.
Vadodara district experienced two separate fatal incidents. Shankar Rathwa, aged 33, died from electrocution. He tried to retrieve his kite from an overhead power cable. In Karjan town, 10-year-old Himanshu Kashyap died after a car hit him. He was chasing a kite on the road at the time.
Emergency Services Face Overwhelming Surge
Ahmedabad-based 108 Emergency Medical Services handled a massive number of cases during the festivities. On Wednesday alone, they responded to 5,897 emergency medical cases across Gujarat. This figure represents a 33 percent increase compared to a normal day.
An official release provided detailed breakdowns. Non-vehicular trauma cases surged by 171 percent. Officials largely attributed this spike to kite flying accidents, rooftop falls, physical assaults, and electrocution incidents.
Vehicular trauma cases also rose sharply by 118.7 percent. Increased festive travel and roadside distractions, like people chasing kites, drove this increase.
Ahmedabad district recorded the highest number of emergency calls. The service received 1,176 cases on Uttarayan. This number compares to an average of 833 calls on normal days.
The data paints a clear picture. Uttarayan festivities, while joyous for many, created a significant public safety challenge. The killer manja thread emerged as a primary hazard, cutting short young lives and causing widespread grief.
