Deadly Kite String Claims Three Lives, Injures Over 100 During Festival
Banned Chinese manja, the razor-sharp glass-coated kite string, turned deadly during Makar Sankranti celebrations on Wednesday. The lethal strands killed at least three people across Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, and Karnataka. They injured well over 100 individuals in multiple states.
Festive travel and routine commutes collided with dangerous strings dangling across roads and bridges. Authorities continue to struggle with enforcement despite ongoing drives.
Uttar Pradesh Doctor Dies After Throat Cut
In Uttar Pradesh, a 28-year-old doctor named Sameer Hashmi bled to death. Chinese manja cut his throat near a public school campus in Jaunpur district.
Hashmi, a resident of Kerakat town, was riding his motorcycle back from Jaunpur city. The string suddenly tightened around his neck. Rushed to the district hospital, he died during treatment.
Jaunpur Additional Superintendent of Police Goldi Gupta expressed concern. She said, "Despite a continuing drive and seizures from kite shops and vendors, such cases are happening." Gupta urged the public to inform authorities about illegal sellers and users.
This marks the second such death in Jaunpur within a month. On December 11, a 45-year-old school teacher named Sandeep Tripathi died. Manja slit his throat as he crossed Sadhbhavna bridge over the Gomti river. He had just dropped his daughter at school.
Migrant Worker Killed Hours After Reaching Telangana
A 38-year-old migrant worker named Avadhesh Kumar from Lakhimpur district in UP died in Telangana. He was killed just hours after reaching Sangareddy district for farm work.
Police reported that Chinese manja stretched across a village road sliced his neck. Kumar was riding a motorcycle to a market at the time. He was declared dead on arrival at a government hospital.
Kumar's 19-year-old son, who had travelled with him, filed a police complaint. The tragic incident highlights the widespread danger of the banned material.
Karnataka Father Dies on Festival Journey
In northern Karnataka, Chinese manja cut short a father's festival journey. Sanjiva Kumar, a 48-year-old gram panchayat worker from Bambulagi village, died on a flyover near Talamadagi in Bidar district.
He had set out on his motorbike to bring home his 16-year-old daughter from a residential school for Sankranti. The string sliced his neck, throwing him from the bike.
In his final call, he managed to contact his daughter. He told her he might be delayed. Sanjiva Kumar was declared dead at Chitaguppa taluk hospital.
Close Calls and Multiple Injuries Reported
Varanasi witnessed a close call. Jitendra Maurya suffered deep cuts to his eyelids and nose. Manja struck him on Samneghat bridge while he was riding a motorcycle.
Telangana police stated that at least 10 injuries linked to the string have been reported in recent weeks. Victims include a police officer who required 10 stitches to his neck. A four-year-old boy needed 12 stitches after a deep gash.
More than 100 people in Jaipur received treatment for facial and neck cuts caused by snapped strings. Many of them were bikers. A seven-month-old baby suffered a throat cut in the incidents.
Ramesh Saini, a resident, described a harrowing experience. He said, "I was riding pillion when my friend's nose was cut." The accounts underscore the random and severe nature of these injuries.
The incidents have sparked renewed calls for stricter enforcement of the ban on Chinese manja. Public awareness campaigns are emphasizing the dangers during kite-flying seasons.
