darwin was busy in Pakistan

[wedi42]

from here

February 16, 2004

SEVEN people were killed and more than 100 injured in Pakistan during the annual kite flying festival marking the arrival of spring, officials said today.

An 18-month-old girl's throat was cut by a stray kite string while she was travelling with her parents on a motorbike, witnesses said, adding that she died on the spot.

Three people were electrocuted when metal wires they were using to fly or catch stray kites fell on live electric lines, and two people fell from roofs, hospital officials said.

A 12-year-old boy died while trying to catch a stray kite when he was hit by a car on a main road, police said.

More than 100 people had been reported injured since last night in various kite-related accidents, medical workers said.
Officials at Lahore's Mayo Hospital said 42 children and 60 adults had been treated for injuries.

"One child was injured by a stray bullet," deputy medical superintendent Dr Saqib Shafi told AFP.

Though firing guns is banned, people celebrate the spring festival by firing into the air, often causing casualties.

Relatives of people killed or injured in kite flying accidents held a demonstration in Lahore last year urging the government to maintain its ban on selling and flying kites.

More than 20 people have been killed in kite flying accidents in Lahore since last year's spring festival.

Casualties and frequent power outages caused by metal wires falling over power lines forced the government to ban the sale of kites and metal wire, but those restrictions were lifted this month to celebrate the festival, officials said.

 

[waggy]

wow.

never thought i would read about so many deaths caused by kites..

 

[zimu]

sounds nasty. why use metal strings to fly a kite? wouldn't that just weigh down the kite or something?! whats wrong with simple string?!

 

[JetBlack69]

Originally posted by: waggy
wow.

never thought i would read about so many deaths caused by kites..

 

[Eli]

LMFAO...

:Q

 

gives a whole new meaning to "Go fly a kite!".

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

"In other news, the US has raised it's terror alert to orange and warns it citizens about deadly kite flying terrorists at their local parks. More news after the break."

 

[Rumpltzer]

Originally posted by: zimu
sounds nasty. why use metal strings to fly a kite? wouldn't that just weigh down the kite or something?! whats wrong with simple string?!

One would also think that any metal thread light enough to be supported by a kite would also be so resistive/thin that it would melt the thread rather than cause a short to the victim...

OP, I think the Darwin title is pretty funny. 😀

 

[Analog]

Originally posted by: Rumpltzer

Originally posted by: zimu
sounds nasty. why use metal strings to fly a kite? wouldn't that just weigh down the kite or something?! whats wrong with simple string?!

One would also think that any metal thread light enough to be supported by a kite would also be so resistive/thin that it would melt the thread rather than cause a short to the victim...

OP, I think the Darwin title is pretty funny. 😀

it takes < 10mA to kill.

 

[BMdoobieW]

Funny stuff! Thanks for posting.

 

[matt426malm]

a little chlorine in the gene pool.

 

[UlricT]

well... I can explain the metal on the kites!

There are kite-flying competitions in which a whole bunch o' people try to cut each others kite off from its string. Having a good sting is vital to success 😀 They sometmes coat the strings with glass chips too...

 

[AgaBoogaBoo]

*sigh*

 

[OffTopic1]

Death is common at festivals. I wonder how many accident/death occure around new year in the US is?

 

[geno]

Originally posted by: OffTopic
Death is common at festivals. I wonder how many accident/death occure around new year in the US is?

Cmon man they were flying kites as celebration, how many confetti-related deaths were there here in the US during new years?

Yes death is common at large celebrations, but for so many to be related to kite-flying is just odd