Inside horror ‘kite battle’ craze after kids decapitated by razor glass strings

19 January 2023 , 15:29

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Inside horror ‘kite battle’ craze after kids decapitated by razor glass strings

A terrifying craze is sweeping parts of Asia which sees competitors coat razor-sharp kite strings in metal or crushed glass - which has contributed to the deaths of 11 people.

Youngster's throats have been gouged open after the tainted strings fell from the skies of India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.

On Saturday, six spectators were slaughtered in Gujarat, India during the region's annual kite-flying festivities, when the glass-laden strings swooped through the air and sliced them.

Police said almost 200 people were injured over the course of the day, due to cuts and falls while participating.

Rather than simply watching the kites soar above the earth, competitors aim to slash the strings of their rivals.

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The kites used to be flown with safe cotton, which carries a very low risk of injury, but the game has become all the more deadly in recent years when players adopted more risky methods to give them the edge.

Afghan youths and children chase a loose kite after getting its strings cut during a kite battle in Kabul (AFP via Getty Images)

By coating the nylon in glass and metal, which is known locally as firkees, it means they're less likely to snap.

Some flyers use a material from China called Manja, which is made of acrylic and have been banned by a number of countries and regions.

The prohibition came after two children died in their parents' arms in Delhi in 2016.

Indian worker prepares kite thread at a roadside workshop, in Amritsar, India on January 4 (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Though Manja is outlawed, the Indian-made strings are just as deadly. They're typically laced with thousands of minute glass shards and can easily slice through skin.

Kite-flying club founder Mehul Pathak told the BBC: "For a lot of people, kite flying is no longer a recreational sport.

"Flyers are using dangerous strings, and the harmless cotton strings has been forgotten."

One of the youngsters maimed by the kite strings

So far, 11 deaths have been reported after the festival in Gujarat over the weekend. Six were killed by rogue kite strings while another five died after falling from a terrace or in road traffic accidents as a result of the incidents.

At least four children got their necks slashed when they were out on motorbikes with their parents.

A man, 31, was on his motorcycle when a rogue string pulled him off.

Kites fly over the skies of India during celebrations

The deadly strings are being sold privately and online.

"I have seen pigeons being injured. It is our duty to refrain from using such deadly strings," Pramod Kumar, who has witnessed the recent kite festival in Gujarat, said.

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An animal rights activist who gave his name as Firoz said that even the Indian-made strings are coated with pounded glass coating which can easily pierce the throat.

A kite maker (left) displays kites ahead of the Lohri harvest festival, which falls on January 13 and is marked in northern India with celebrations involving the flying and battling of kites, in Amritsar on January 6 (AFP via Getty Images)

One eyewitness, Mehwash, said: "Hundreds thronged to the streets to celebrate the festival. I had seen kites all over the sky. It was so scary."

In another horrific incident, a man from Punjab had to have 30 stitches in a hospital after being slashed by a banned Chinese string while travelling along a highway.

In December last year a journalist was riding a motorcyle when one of the strings pierced his helmet visor and became lodged in his head in Lucknow.

Indian youngster Kirti was killed by one of the kites

During the Makar Sankranti festival, which is dedicated to the Hindu Sun God, Gujarat politician Harsh Sanghavi warned the public to avoid using the strings from China.

"I request everyone to refrain from using Chinese manjha, which has taken many lives," Sanghavi told newswire ANI.

But it's not only people at risk from the razor wire. Animals rights organisations have been trying to warn Indians about the impact on bird populations.

"We have been educating people in different cities about the use of strings, including Chinese manjha, and its deadly impact on birds, animals, and humans, respectively.

Another man injured by the kites while riding a motorbike in India (Another man injured by the kites while riding a motorbike in India)

"While working against bird and animal cruelty, we have witnessed birds being maimed, dangling on wires," another activist called Akhil said.

Between 2000-2006, 189 vultures died due to the string horror.

Meanwhile, the latest figures suggest that 140 people were slashed by strings during the recently held festival. On January 14, 92 people were injured due to kite strings, with Ahmedabad reporting the highest number of incidents at 59.

Apart from this, 40 people picked up injuries while flying kites from terraces and rooftops.

Tahir Ibn Manzoor