Kite string slits throat, kills minor in Lahore

LAHORE: The kite string at late night on Friday slit the throat and killed a minor near Yateem Khana Chowk in Lahore.

According to the police officials,  a resident of Bandar Road, Waseem Abbas, was en route to his house with his wife, two sons and four-year-old Mahrukh on a bike when the incident occurred.

When the motorbike reached near Yateem Khana, a kite string slit the throat of four-year-old, the police said. The passerby in the area rushed Mahrukh to a nearby hospital in Samanabad where she died.

“Today was Mahrukh’s birthday,” the minor’s grandmother told media, adding that all preparations have been finalised for the celebrations.

The police have filed a case against unidentified kite flyers under the act pertaining kite flying and murder.

Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif took notice of the incident, which happened despite a ban on kite flying in Punjab, and condemned it.

“Strict action should be taken against the violators and strict measures should be taken to implement the ban on kite flying across the province,” the chief minister said.

The kite ropes known as kite strings are made of glass powder. These strings can cause injuries even after a careless touch. The string, however, is used for kite flying across Punjab in spring.

The kite flying festival Basant was banned in 2005, after such incidents. The festival which was celebrated by millions of locals and foreigners, who used to come to Lahore especially for the festival.

The ban was lifted for two days in 2007 by then Lahore Mayor Mian Amir Mehmood but it was reimposed after multiple incidents.