Kite festival in Gujarat turns tragic: 4 lives lost
This year's Uttarayan kite festival in Gujarat took a heartbreaking turn, with four people losing their lives in separate kite-related accidents.
Three victims—including an eight-year-old boy, a 17-year-old and a 35-year-old man—were fatally injured by sharp kite strings; two were riding a motorcycle when injured.
Another man was electrocuted while trying to retrieve a kite.
Emergency services stretched thin as accidents spike
The festivities saw emergency calls shoot up by 33%, with nearly 6,000 incidents reported across the state—many were non-vehicular trauma cases largely attributed to kite flying, rooftop falls, physical assaults, and electrocution incidents.
Ahmedabad alone logged over 1,100 cases.
There was also a big jump in road accidents, likely due to festival distractions, putting even more pressure on medical teams.