Youth falls victim to killer kite string
Flying kites can be lethal as many kite strings are coated with metal or crushed glass mixed with glue to help cut the strings of rival kites which have taken many lives. PHOTO FILE
A young man riding a motorcycle was killed after a kite string slit his throat in the city on Wednesday.
Reportedly, the victim was coming to Faisalabad for shopping when the incident took place.
Police took the body into custody and handed it over to his heirs after taking necessary action.
According to the police report, a resident of suburb village Chak No 647GB, 25-year-old Muhammad Asif alias Atif, the son of Mushtaq, was on his way to Faisalabad from his village Landianwala on his motorcycle when a kite string cut his neck, injuring him near Tezab Mill Chowk, Allahwali Mosque, Guddiwala area.
The victim fell on the road from his motorcycle and was tormented on the road for a prolonged period. The youth eventually died on the spot.
Rescue 15 was informed by passersby on the spot after which Madina Town SP Rizwan Tariq, People's Colony DSP Tauseef Khan and People's Colony SHO Sub Inspector Taswar Ramzan and Madina Town SHO Mian Wajid Hussain reached the spot. They took the body of the deceased motorcyclist to the mortuary unit of Allied Hospital Faisalabad for postmortem. Police also launched an operation against kite flying.
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People's Colony SHO said a kite string cut the throat of the motorcyclist in the jurisdiction of Saddar police station. As a result of the incident, the youth fell off the two-wheeler near the mosque in People's Colony and suffered injuries until he eventually breathed his last.
The People’s Colony SHO further said, “We are taking action against the menace of kite flying in the city.”
Reportedly, police crackdowns against the deadly sport had taken place in the city several times. However, despite the police actions, kite flying could not be stopped in Faisalabad.
In the same city, as many as four teenagers fell from the roofs and eventually died while flying kites in the jurisdictions of People's Colony police station, Batala Colony police station, Dijkot police station and Jaranwala City police station.
Police, however, remained unsuccessful in curbing the rising incidents of death and injury caused by kite flying practices in the city.
Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar took notice of the youth’s death by kite string. The CM sought a report from the Faisalabad regional police officer (RPO) over the motorcyclist’s death on Jaranwala Road.
The chief minister also directed to take strict action against those responsible for the negligence.
In a statement, the CM emphasised the need to ensure strict compliance with the law banning the kite flying sport adding that strict action would be initiated in case of any violation. The police must ensure compliance with the law, he added. “The re-occurrence of such deadly kite flying incidents, despite clear cut instructions, are regrettable.”
Buzdar directed the police to work with renewed zeal to stop such occurrences.
The CM has also extended his sympathies to the bereaved heirs of the youth.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 13th, 2021.