6 Dead, Including 3 Children, After Their Throats Were Cut by Kite Strings During Festival in India
Ajit Solanki/AP/Shutterstock A man flies a kite during the 2022 Uttarayan festival
Six people, including three children, died after their throats were slit by kite strings during the annual Uttarayan festival in India, according to multiple reports.
Authorities in Gujarat said 176 people were injured by cuts and falls during the festival, which took place last weekend, according to The Evening Standard and the Press Trust of India.
A pair of young girls and a seven-year-old boy died after "sharp strings" slit their necks, reported The Evening Standard.
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One of the victims, a two-year-old girl, was riding on a bike with her father when she became entangled with the string, per the newspaper. She died while being treated at the hospital, according to the Press Trust of India, citing a police official.
Another victim, identified by the Press Trust of India as a three-year-old girl, was walking home with her mother on Saturday when her throat was slit by a kite thread. She was declared dead at a local hospital, the news agency reported.
The seven-year-old boy was also with family, according to the outlet, which reported he was on a two-wheeler with his parents after buying a kite when his neck was slit.
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Additionally, three men were killed while riding on two-wheelers in separate incidents in the districts of Vadodara, Kutch and Gandhinagar, according to the outlets.
SAM PANTHAKY/AFP via Getty Strings coated with powdered glass used for flying kites ahead of the Uttarayan festival in 2018
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On Friday, police in Gujarat urged those taking part in the festivities to do so carefully — and specifically not to use strings coated with powdered glass, known locally as manja, according to the BBC, which notes that the strings are made sharp to cut down other kites.
"Celebrate the festival of Uttarayan but be careful while flying kites and don't put your life or others at risk," they wrote in a translated Tweet.
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The annual festival is held throughout cities across the region to celebrate the end of winter, according to The Evening Standard.
According to the newspaper, two children died in 2016 due to kite-related injuries during the festival.