A series of deadly incidents involving the banned Chinese kite string, or Chinese manjha, has left several people dead and many injured across multiple states during Makar Sankranti, highlighting enforcement failures despite repeated bans and safety warnings.

In Surat on January 14, a man, his wife, and their 10-year-old daughter died when their motorcycle fell from the Jilani flyover after hitting a kite string. Another child in Surat’s Jahangirpura area and a doctor in Jaunpur were also killed by sharp kite strings.

Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh reported multiple serious injuries, including a woman in Ajmer, a 70-year-old man and an eight-year-old in Kota, and a youth and a businessman in Indore. In Chhindwara, a 24-year-old mechanic suffered fractured ribs and a broken shoulder after a manjha accident, while a biker in Jamnagar sustained a deep neck wound.

Despite repeated bans, the glass-coated Chinese manjha continues to cause fatalities each year. Authorities have urged the public to avoid illegal kite strings and warned that enforcement actions will be strengthened during the festival period.