4 killed across Gujarat during Uttarayan festivities; emergency cases soar

Ahmedabad, Jan 15 (PTI) At least four persons, including children, lost their lives in separate incidents involving kites across Gujarat during the Uttarayan festival, with the state recording a sharp rise in emergency cases, officials said on Thursday.

Three deaths were caused by kite strings, while one was due to electrocution. The fatal incidents were reported from Bharuch, Anand, Aravalli and Vadodara districts.

In Bharuch district’s Pilundra village, Rahul Parmar (35) died on the spot after his throat was slit due to a kite string while he was riding a motorcycle, an official from Vedach police station said.

An eight-year-old boy died after suffering critical neck injuries from a kite string in Anand district. The child was travelling on a motorcycle, sitting on the fuel tank, with his father from Badalpur to Ralaj at the time. He was taken to multiple hospitals but could not be saved, they said.

A similar incident was reported from the Aravalli district, where 17-year-old Tirth Patel died at the scene after his neck was severely injured by a kite string on Wednesday.

In Vadodara district, a 33-year-old man died of electrocution while attempting to retrieve a kite from an electric pole in the Waghodia area. Superintendent of SSG Hospital Dr Ranjan Iyer identified the deceased as Shankar Rathva.

On Wednesday, 108 Emergency Medical Services handled 5,897 emergency medical cases across Gujarat, marking a 33 per cent increase compared to a normal day, during the Uttarayan festivities, according to an official release.

Non-vehicular trauma cases surged by 171 per cent, largely attributed to kite flying, rooftop falls, physical assaults, and electrocution incidents. Vehicular trauma cases also rose sharply by 118.7 per cent, driven by increased festive travel and roadside distractions, it said.

The release also said that Ahmedabad district recorded the highest number of emergency calls, with 1,176 cases reported on Uttarayan, compared to an average of 833 calls on normal days. PTI KVM PD NR