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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Frigid conditions to persist in Delhi; winter rain likely on New Year's Day
New Delhi (PTI): A biting cold swept through the capital on Wednesday, with similar conditions likely to prevail on New Year's Day, while a spell of rain, which could be the season's first, is expected later in the night or on January 1.
The minimum temperature in Delhi was recorded at 6.4 degrees Celsius, about 0.4 degrees Celsius below normal.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said foggy and cold conditions prevailed in the city during morning hours, followed by cold day conditions through the day, which are expected to persist into the night.
"A cold day is declared when the minimum temperature falls below 10 degrees Celsius and the maximum temperature remains about 4.5 degrees below normal," an IMD official said.
A generally cloudy sky with light rain is forecast for January 1, with cold day conditions expected to continue.
"There is a slight chance of very light and isolated rain over Delhi and the NCR between tonight and New Year's Day due to an induced cyclonic circulation over Punjab and Haryana. If it occurs, this could be the season's first spell of rain," Mahesh Palawat of Skymet told PTI.
From January 3, coldwave conditions may develop as the minimum temperature could drop below 5 degrees Celsius, with cold northerly winds from the Himalayan region expected to move towards the capital, he added.
Meanwhile, visibility dropped sharply in several parts of the city due to dense fog on Wednesday.
According to the weather department, Safdarjung reported the lowest visibility of 50 metres between 6.30 am and 7.30 am, which later improved to 100 metres by 8 am. Palam recorded visibility as low as 50 metres between 4 am and 7.30 am, improving to 150 metres by 8 am.
IMD scientist Dr Naresh Kumar said dense to very dense fog has been prevailing over north India for nearly two weeks. "Dense fog may occur at isolated places in Delhi tomorrow morning," he said.
Explaining the weather pattern, Kumar said an active western disturbance is currently positioned over north Pakistan. "Due to its influence, light to moderate rainfall and snowfall will continue over the western Himalayan region for the next two to three days. Very light rainfall activity is also possible over the NCR region," he said.
He explained that fog forms when temperatures are low, winds are light and moisture levels are high. "When these conditions persist, fog stays longer during the day, blocks sunlight and helps cold day conditions continue," he said.
The IMD said dense to very dense fog is likely to persist in Delhi for the next five days.
For the New Year's Day, the IMD forecast generally cloudy skies with a possibility of very light to light rain at isolated places. Shallow to moderate fog is expected during the morning hours, with maximum temperatures likely to remain between 14 degrees Celsius and 16 degrees Celsius and minimum temperatures between 9 degrees Celsius and 11 degrees Celsius.
