RAJKOT/VADODARA/AHMEDABAD: At least 15 people died and hundreds were injured across Gujarat in mishaps related to kite flying on the day of Makar Sankranti or Uttarayan on Tuesday. Most of the deaths and injuries were reported either because of sharp manjha (thread) or from falling off terraces while flying or chasing kites.
Six deaths were reported from Saurashtra-Kutch, 6 in central Gujarat, and one each in Ahmedabad and Bharuch. One person died in Aravalli district of north Gujarat.
The youngest among all victims was a 10-month-old girl in Gandhidham town, who was crushed to death when her father fell to the ground after a fragile sheet on the terrace gave way. The EMRI 108 ambulance service reported some 4,948 incidents of emergencies in the state on Jan 14, which was about 30% higher than on normal days. Ahmedabad led with the highest number of 1,050 cases of emergencies, up 43% compared to an average 734 on normal days. Hospitals across the state witnessed a steady stream of injured people.
In Jamnagar police booked a farm owner after his 14-year-old son accidentally came in contact with illegally installed electric fencing around the field, while trying to retrieve a kite. In Vadodara, 35-year-old woman and two aged 23 and 21 died. In Rajkot, a 10-year-old died from terrace falls, and one lost his life to a kite string injury.