Basant celebration turns bloody in Rawalpindi
In his tweet, Shehbaz warned police to ensure the ban or face the music. PHOTO: AFP
Celebrations of Basant turned bloody in Rawalpindi as a person lost his life and more than 35 individuals sustained injuries, including over 20 children.
The deadly incident occurred when a person fell from a rooftop while engaged in kite flying, resulting in a fatality.
The situation got tense in various neighbourhoods with aerial firing, causing injuries to many.
Despite the arrest of 227 kite flyers by the police during the kite flying activities, the celebration continued in Rawalpindi’s urban and rural areas.
The skies were filled with colourful kites as participants defied restrictions. Kite flying enthusiasts engaged in aerial firing using modern weapons, while the entire city resonated with aerial firing. According to information obtained from various hospitals, two of the injured children are reported to be in critical condition.
Read: Kite string claims another life
According to health authorities, more than 20 injured individuals were taken to the District Headquarters Hospital, while over 15 wounded individuals were brought to the Benazir Bhutto Hospital.
Meanwhile, Rawalpindi District Police urged the citizens to ensure that their children do not violate the ban on kite flying imposed by the provincial government, otherwise, strict action will be taken against the violators as per the law.
According to a police spokesperson, Rawalpindi police managed to arrest 81 kite flying ban violators on Thursday night and recovered over 4,400 kites, 104 string rolls, sound systems, weapons and other items.
He said over 500 accused have been arrested so far and more than 58,000 kites and around 1,000 string rolls have been recovered.
( With additional input from APP )
Published in The Express Tribune, February 24th, 2024.