Hyderabad: The joyous celebration of Makar Sankranti took a tragic turn in Telangana as at least five lives were lost in incidents related to kite flying in the past couple of days.
In Hyderabad and Sangareddy district, the festivity turned somber as four youths lost their lives due to electrocution, falling from rooftops, and one soldier became a victim of the deadly ‘Chinese manja’.
A heart-wrenching incident unfolded in Pet Basheerabad, Hyderabad, where a 20-year-old student, Akash, lost his life after falling from the terrace of his apartment complex on Sunday evening while flying a kite. The incident marked the fourth death in Hyderabad.
Meanwhile, in Sangareddy’s Jogipet town, a 30-year-old man named Subrahmanyam died of electrocution while flying a kite on the terrace of a two-storey house. The tragic incident also left his wife Chamundeswari Devi injured.
Two children met unfortunate fates in separate incidents in Hyderabad. An 11-year-old boy, Tanishq, died of electrocution while flying a kite on the terrace of an apartment building in Attapur. Another 13-year-old, K. Shiva Prasanna, lost his life falling off the terrace of a four-storey building in Nagole.
In Nagarkurnool, a boy suffered injuries after coming in contact with a live electric wire while flying a kite and has been shifted to Hyderabad for treatment.
The lethal ‘Chinese manja’ claimed the life of a soldier, Kagithala Koteswar Reddy, in Hyderabad. Riding a scooty on Indira Reddy flyover in Langar Houz, Reddy had his throat slit by the synthetic thread. Despite being rushed to the hospital, he succumbed to his injuries.
The Telangana government had imposed a complete ban on ‘manja’ in 2016 to ensure the safety of both birds and humans. Authorities have advised people to avoid flying kites near electricity installations, emphasizing the risk of electrocution due to metal-coated ‘manja’ threads.
The incidents serve as a stark reminder of the dangers associated with kite flying during festive occasions and highlight the need for heightened awareness and precautions.
