Kite flying death toll rises to five in Lahore

LAHORE: The death toll rose to five due to kite flying going unabated despite ban in the provincial metropolis, as another person was killed by a stray kite twine in North Cantt Police Station limits Sunday.

The victim Shabbir Hussain was on his way when a stray kite twine fell on him and he sustained fatal cut on the neck. He was rushed to a hospital, where he died after few hours.

Lahore CCPO took notice of the death of the young man. He suspended SI Ikram of North Cantt Police Station and directed SP Furqan Bilal to hold an inquiry in this connection.

Meanwhile, another citizen identified as Moeen Butt was injured by a stray kite twine in Sabzazar.

Coronavirus has changed the provincial metropolis environment as citizens fly kites day and night in all the six divisions of the Lahore police and subsequently someone loses life.

The ban on kite flying is still intact, but the Lahore police have miserably failed in controlling the situation and carry various excuses to defend it, including overload of extra activities due to coronavirus.

The open and secret practice of kite flying leaves kites stuck in branches of trees, and the strings attached with them hang like a sword on roads to slit open the throats or cut other parts of innocent men, women and children.

On May 10, a youth falling victim to kite flying in the limits of Islampura police was just 18-year-old Usman, son of Muhammad Yousaf. While going on a motorcycle with his brother Ali Haider, his throat got entangled with a kite string and was slit.

He was rushed to the Mayo Hospital, where he died. The victim belonged to Narowal and worked in Lahore. DIG Operations Lahore suspended the Islampura SHO Nasrullah Khan Chattha. Both the SP City Raza Kazmi and Islampura DSP Soba Khan managed to save their skin.

At least four persons have already died and over dozens sustained injuries caused by the illegal kite string in Lahore in 2020. Police failure in implementing the ban on kite flying resulted in the killing of another young man in the Factory Area police limits on March 24.

The victim was identified as Danish, 25, a resident of Azad Kashmir. He was living in a rented house in Sufiabad.

He was on his way on a motorcycle from Chungi Amar Sadhu when a stray kite string entangled around his neck.

As a result, his jugular vein was badly cut. He was rushed to a hospital in a rickshaw where he died.

Similarly, a young Dolphin Squad official died after string of a stray kite slit open his throat in Nishtar Police Station limits on February 15. Identified as Safdar Ali, the constable was going back home in Burki on a motorcycle after duty when the kite string entangled around his neck. The string cut his neck and he died on the spot.