Ahmedabad: Amid the Uttarayan festivities in Gujarat as people across the state celebrated by flying kites on Tuesday, things turned tragic in many parts after six people died and many others were injured in accidents caused by ‘manja’, the razor-sharp strings.
Fatalities were reported from Rajkot, Surendranagar, and Panchmahal, once again highlighting the dangers of these strings pose to people.
In Rajkot, a young man died when his throat was slit due to a loose string while he was crossing Kuwadwa Road in Rajkot. The injured biker was being shifted to a hospital but succumbed to the injury before he could be taken there.
In Surendranagar’s Odu village, another man lost his life after his throat was slit after getting entangled in a string while flying a kite.
A similar incident took place in Halol town of Panchmahal district where a five-year-old boy named Kunal died after a kite string slashed his neck. The accident happened while the child was riding with his father on a motorcycle to buy balloons.
In Bhavnagar, yet another life was lost when a young man’s neck was cut by a kite string near Chitra Press Quarters while dropping his father off. Although a traffic police officer rushed him to the hospital, he succumbed.
Several other manja accidents also left some people gravely injured. In one case, a biker was critically wounded while crossing a highway when a kite string slashed his neck. Another young man from Karakhadi village in Padra was rushed to the hospital for treatment after sustaining severe injuries.
GVK EMRI, the operator of the 108 ambulance service in the state, reported an increase in emergency cases during Uttarayan compared to the previous year. By 6 p.m., the service had received 3,707 emergency calls, up from 3,362 on the same day in 2024, according to a GVK EMRI official.
Nylon threads or those coated with crushed glass, known as manja, are sharp enough to inflict fatal injuries. Despite being banned, these threads remain popular among kite enthusiasts due to their effectiveness in cutting rivals’ kites.
