Makar Sankranti celebrations in Karnataka turned grim when 48-year-old Sanjukumar Hosamani died after being struck by a taut kite string while riding his motorcycle near Talamadagi Bridge in Bidar district. The sharp string sliced his neck, causing severe bleeding. Despite managing to call his daughter in his final moments, Hosamani succumbed to his injuries before medical help could reach him.

Delayed Ambulance Response Blamed for Hosamani’s Death

Eyewitnesses described a harrowing scene. A passerby tried to control the bleeding by pressing a cloth against the wound, but the delay in emergency services proved fatal. Relatives of the deceased blamed local authorities, claiming that timely intervention could have saved him.

Following the incident, Hosamani’s family and nearby residents staged a protest, urging stricter enforcement against dangerous nylon kite strings and improvements in ambulance response times. Police have registered a case at Manna Ekhelli Police Station and confirmed that an investigation is ongoing.

Chinese Manjha Turns Kite Flying Deadly

The use of nylon strings, also known as Chinese manjha, has made kite flying increasingly dangerous. Unlike traditional cotton strings, nylon is sharp, durable, and can cause life-threatening injuries, particularly to bikers who may not notice them in time. These strings are often coated with powdered glass and are frequently used to cut rival kites in competitive flying.

Tragic accidents involving kite strings are not new. Recently, 45-year-old Raghuveer Dhakar in Indore and 22-year-old Yash Goswami in Delhi lost their lives after similar incidents. In 2023, a seven-year-old in Delhi also died from a kite string injury. Despite periodic raids and confiscations by authorities, such fatalities continue to occur, showing that current safety measures are insufficient.