Killer kite strings claim 3 lives during Independence Day festivities in Delhi

Two children, motorcyclist dead, at least four injured in separate incidents across the capital.

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In the first incident, three-year-old Sanchi was standing in her mother’s lap with her head out of the sun roof when a long strand of thread hanging from an overhead wire got entangled around her neck. Source: Praveen Khanna

A day after a man fell off his motorcycle and died when his neck got entangled in a kite string (manjha), two children met the same fate in two separate incidents. In both cases, the children — who were out on a ride with their parents — were looking out of the sunroof when they came in contact with the thread.

In the first incident, three-year-old Sanchi Goyal was standing in her mother’s lap with her head out of the sun roof when a long strand of thread hanging from an overhead wire got entangled around her neck. The family was on their way home from a movie when the incident occurred on Rani Bagh main road.

The girl’s parents initially thought her cry of pain was a shout of laughter, till the child fell bleeding inside. The nearest hospital was a mere 500 metres away but the thread had caused severe injuries. The child was declared dead when they reached the hospital.

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The family is in shock and declined to comment. Police also said it was “difficult to get a statement from the parents”.

Rani Bagh SHO Indira Rathore said, “The child’s parents were in no shape to give a statement. It took some time before they could tell us what happened.”

Police said an FIR under Section 304A of the IPC (death due to negligence) has been registered by the Rani Bagh police “against unknown persons”.

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Hospital sources said the child was bleeding profusely when she was brought to the hospital. A long piece of the manjha was stuck in her throat, they added.

“The manjha had cut through her carotid artery and windpipe. There was blood all over her mother and the nurse who brought her inside.

We performed CPR and tried to intubate her to revive her breathing but she had lost too much blood,” said a staff member at Bhagwan Mahavir Hospital.

Police said the second incident took place in west Delhi’s Tilak Nagar when four-year-old Harry and his family were returning home from a mall.

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An officer said the boy was peeping out of the sun roof. “As they crossed the Tilak Nagar flyover, his family spotted the boy bleeding profusely from his neck. They immediately rushed him to Mata Chanan Devi Hospital where doctors declared him dead,” he added.

DCP Pushpendra Kumar said a case under section 304A (causing death by negligence) has been registered at Tilak Nagar police station.

SI injured as kite string grazes his neck

Delhi Police sub-inspector (SI) Manoj Kumar sustained injuries when a kite string grazed his neck Monday. Kumar was returning to Anand Vihar police station on his motorcycle after patrol duty on Independence Day.

“Initial investigation revealed that the incident took place near Cross River Mall. Manoj did not sustain grievous injuries and no case has been registered in connection with the incident,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (east) Rishi Pal.

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