Four dead in Gujarat due to kite string injuries
Ahmedabad, Jan 14: Four persons including a four-year-old boy died after their throats were slit by 'manja' or kite string during Uttarayan celebrations in Gujarat on Tuesday, police said.
A death each was reported in Rajkot, Panchmahal, Mehsana and Surendranagar districts while numerous cases of injury were reported across the state, officials said.
Kunal Parmar (4) bled to death in Halol town of Panchmahal district after his neck was slit by kite string, said an official of the local police station.
He was riding with his father on motorcycle to buy kites and balloons from the market when a piece of string wrapped around his neck and caused a deep gash.
"He was rushed to hospital but died during treatment," the official said.
Mansaji Thakor (35), a farmer, died in Vadnagar taluka of Mehsana district. "He was riding to his farm at his village Vadbar on motorcycle when his neck was slit by kite string. He was taken to hospital but died during treatment," a Vadnagar police station official said.
An unidentified man, riding a motorcycle, was similarly killed on the outskirts of Rajkot city.
Ishwar Thakor (35) died in Patdi taluka of Surendranagar district after suffering deep cuts in the neck due to kite string while riding a motorcycle, police said.
GVK EMRI, which operates 108 ambulance service in the state, reported a rise in emergency cases on Uttarayan compared to the last year. As of 6 pm, the number of emergency calls received was 3,707, against 3,362 on the same day in 2024, a GVK EMRI official said.
These included numerous cases of injuries due to kite string and fall from rooftop while flying kites.
Manja made from nylon or coated with crushed glass is sharp enough to cause fatal injuries. Despite being banned, it is used by kite enthusiasts who find them effective for cutting an opponents' kite.
On Monday, the state government had informed the Gujarat High Court in response to a petition that a total of 609 First Information Reports were registered and 612 individuals arrested for alleged manufacture, sale and stocking of nylon string (`Chinese manja') and glass coated string in the run-up to Uttarayan.
A notification dated December 24, 2024, imposed a complete ban on these items, but they still found their way into the hands of kite enthusiasts.
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Noida airport to begin ops next month with IndiGo flights to Lucknow, Bengaluru
Noida (PTI): IndiGo on Thursday announced that it will start commercial flight operations from the Noida International Airport in Jewar from June 15, becoming the launch carrier for the greenfield airport in western Uttar Pradesh.
The first day flights will be to and fro Lucknow and Bengaluru, the airline said in a statement.
Noida International Airport was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 28.
IndiGo said it will be the first carrier to start commercial services from the airport, the third in the National Capital Region (NCR).
According to the airline, inaugural flights on June 15 will operate on the Lucknow-Noida-Bengaluru-Noida-Lucknow sector.
As per the announced schedule, flight 6E 2278 will depart from Lucknow at 7.05 am and arrive in Noida at 8.05 am before departing for Bengaluru at 8.35 am and landing there at 11.05 am.
The return flight, 6E 2279, will leave Bengaluru at 3.45 pm and reach Noida at 6.20 pm before departing for Lucknow at 6.55 pm and arriving there at 8 pm.
IndiGo said it will gradually introduce direct flights connecting Noida International Airport to more than 16 destinations across the country, including metro cities such as Bengaluru and Hyderabad, besides tier-2 and tier-3 cities like Amritsar, Chandigarh, Dharamsala, Jaipur, Lucknow, Navi Mumbai, Pantnagar and Srinagar.
The airline said bookings for the flights are being opened in phases through its website, mobile application and authorised travel partners.
Aloke Singh, Chief Strategy Officer of IndiGo, said the airline was pleased to announce the launch of operations from Noida International Airport.
"Strategically positioned on the Yamuna Expressway, Noida International Airport will be the new gateway for western Uttar Pradesh alongside the NCR. As we continue to expand our operations, we remain committed to delivering affordable, on-time and hassle-free travel experiences," Singh said.
IndiGo said the airport is expected to emerge as a major domestic aviation hub and will strengthen connectivity between Delhi-NCR and western Uttar Pradesh through integrated road and rail infrastructure.
