Surat: As the festival of Uttarayan approaches, incidents involving dangerous kite strings have begun to rise across the city. In a recent incident, a 13-year-old boy sustained serious injuries and required 10 stitches after a kite string struck him while he was riding pillion on a motorcycle with his father.

According to information received, Girishbhai Rathod, a resident of Dindoli Mahadevnagar-4, works as a car driver. On Sunday morning, as it was a holiday, he was taking his 13-year-old son Fenil, a Class 9 student of Sunrise Vidyalaya, out for breakfast on his bike. Near Dindoli Mark Point, a kite string suddenly came across the road and got caught in the motorcycle. In an attempt to protect himself, Rathod pushed the string backwards, but it struck Fenil, who was seated behind him, on the right cheek.

Fenil sustained serious injuries and was immediately shifted to the New Civil Hospital by a 108 ambulance. The on-duty medical officer, Dr Priyanka, provided prompt first aid and administered around 10 stitches. Doctors said Fenil suffered a deep injury measuring approximately 5 × 3 cm on his right cheek.

The incident adds to a series of kite-related accidents reported in the city in recent days. On November 29, a 12-year-old boy, Mohammad Faizan, died after an old and dilapidated wall collapsed on him while he was flying a kite in a small field in the Limbayat area.

On December 1, Praveenbhai Sanjaybhai Yadav, a resident of Vrindavannagar in Godadara, sustained injuries after a kite string slashed his cheek while he was riding his bike near Limbayat Nilgiri Circle.

Similarly, on December 2, a family riding a motorcycle fell on the Udhna overbridge after a kite string became entangled with the vehicle. The mother and son were rushed to the hospital in a bleeding condition.

With Uttarayan nearing, citizens have urged the authorities to take stricter measures against the use of dangerous kite strings to prevent further accidents. DeshGujarat