Kite manja turns deadly in Gujarat, 11 killed during Uttarayan festivities

At least 11 people lost their lives across Gujarat in a series of tragic incidents caused by kite manja during the Uttarayan festival, once again highlighting the deadly risks posed by glass-coated and Chinese manja.

According to police and hospital sources, seven fatalities were reported from Surat alone, while one death each occurred in Ahmedabad, Jambusar, Aravalli, Khambhat and Waghodia in Vadodara district. 

In Surat on Wednesday evening, Rehan Rahim Sheikh (34), his wife Rehana (30), and their 10-year-old daughter, Alisha, residents of Bhandariwad,  were riding a motorcycle to Morabhagal Garden. Near the Chandrashekhar Azad Bridge at Adajan Patiya, a kite string reportedly became entangled, causing the bike to lose balance. The family fell from a height of nearly 50 feet. Rehan and his daughter died on the spot due to severe injuries, while the woman succumbed later during treatment.

In another incident, 23-year-old Prince Mangal Batham, a resident of Om Sai Nagar Society in Talangpur, Sachin, was on his way to work when a kite string slashed his neck between Lal Ghoda Circle and Shyam Mandir on Althan Road. He was rushed to hospital but was declared dead on arrival.

An 18-year-old girl, Rekha Bhela Bhima Mahida, a resident of Cable Colony in the newly constructed Silver Reonesh building at Utran, Surat, died after falling from the third floor while trying to catch a kite. She succumbed to her injuries during treatment at SMIMER Hospital.

Several other fatal incidents were reported during the festival period. In Surat, a 19-year-old youth delivering tiffin to a hospital died after his bike slipped when entangled in a kite string. 

A 16-year-old boy fell from a second-floor terrace while flying a kite in the Sachin area.

In Bayad taluka of Aravalli district, a young man died after a string tightened around his neck while he was riding a motorcycle in Choila village. 

Another youth lost his life after falling from a rooftop while flying a kite in Talod. 

In Waghodia taluka of Vadodara district, a young man died after being strangled by a kite string. 

In Khambhat, an eight-year-old child was killed when a kite string tightened around his neck while he was riding a motorcycle with his father.