A 38-year-old woman died in Hubballi, Karnataka, after a kite flying manja string was entangled around her neck when she was riding her scooter to work on Thursday afternoon.
The tragic incident took place at Shivashankar Colony, Hubballi at 1 p.m., as per the information available. Vidya Manjunath Gowdar was a laboratory technician in Bharat Nagar. It once again showed the dangers of sharp kite strings and the fact that there are glass powder or other abrasive materials in them and that sharp string is dangerous.
Vidya was travelling from her home to her work when it happened, the first information gathered is that while she was riding her scooter near Shivashankar colony, a manja string used for flying kites caught around her neck.
The sharp string caused her serious injury and she was unable to continue riding safely. She fell from the scooter after the incident and suffered severe blood loss. The injuries were so severe that she died before she could get better treatment in a hospital, the report said.
Vidya’s sudden death has brought to light the danger of kite-flying strings that can stretch across roads, get caught in trees and electrical wires or hang dangerously over public spaces. Unlike cotton threads, manja is abrasive and can cause deep cuts when it comes into contact with exposed skin.
The two-wheeler users who take such a string off the road or don’t see it as a result are particularly vulnerable when they are riding and necks and faces are exposed.
It happened when Vidya was on an ordinary commute to work. That she was on a familiar route when the accident happened shows the way that the unexpected dangers can turn a normal day into a life-threatening one. Two-wheeler riders may not have time to react if a thin string crosses their path, especially when a path is blocked by traffic, buildings, trees or other visual obstruction. Even in such low-speed collisions with a sharp string can be deadly.
The death also raises concerns about the use and handling of dangerous kite strings in residential neighbourhoods and public areas. Although kite flying is a popular recreational activity, unsafe materials and careless handling can put pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and other road users at risk. A string that breaks loose or is abandoned after kite flying can be hazardous even after the activity has ended. Local awareness campaigns and enforcement of applicable restrictions can reduce the risk of similar incidents.
A case has been reported to the Old Hubballi Police Station. Further investigation will be needed to establish the circumstances of the incident and how the manja string was placed across Vidya's route and if any individual or activity was directly connected with the accident. Details are not known who is responsible for the string, and no one should be blamed without evidence from the investigation.
The incident is a reminder that hazardous kite strings can pose a serious public-safety threat beyond the areas where kites are flown. Riders can reduce some risks by wearing protective riding gear, including suitable neck protection where practical, but responsibility should not rest solely on road users. Safe kite-flying practices, responsible disposal of broken strings and action against prohibited materials are important measures for preventing avoidable injuries.
Vidya’s death has turned an ordinary journey from Bharat Nagar into her workplace into a tragic loss for her family and community. The police investigation serves as a warning about the potential fatal impact of sharp manja strings in public spaces.
The public should have more awareness of the dangers of kite flying and avoid them in public space and it must be done in a way that the people who do it do not risk their lives.
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