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Glass-coated kite strings slice the throats of 2 toddlers when celebrations go awry

Horrific kite-related accidents claim lives on India's Independance Day
NARINDER NANU / Stringer via Getty

India’s Independence Day celebrations in New Delhi turned grizzly when the strings of celebratory kites were involved in 3 deaths on the day, 2 of them children.

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In a stomach-churning co-incidence, a 4-yr-old and a 3 yr-old were each watching the kites while standing up out of the sunroofs of their cars in separate parts of the city. Both boys were killed when glass-coated kite strings sliced their throats.

A 22-yr-old man also died when he became tangled in a kite string while cycling.

Gujarat is vibrant with the Kite Festival (Makar Sankranti) each year in January.
Gujarat is vibrant with the Kite Festival (Makar Sankranti) each year in January. (Credit: anand purohit via Getty)

Kite-flying is a competitive sport in parts of India, with some enthusiasts using strings coated with glass shards, chemicals, and metal to slice through the strings of rival kites.

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There are bans against the use of glass-coated strings, however they are still available in parts of the country.

Woman selling kites in readiness for Uttarayan, a kite flying festival held each year in Gujarat
Woman selling kites in readiness for Uttarayan, a kite flying festival held each year in Gujarat.

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