11 Dead At Pakistani Kite Festival

Metal Kite Strings, Stray Celebratory Gunfire Claim Lives At Annual Event, More Than 100 Injured





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lahore, pakistan, basant kite festival

Basant is a traditional kite flying festival to celebrate the return of spring, but which has often ended in tragedy because of razor-sharp wires many kite enthusiasts use, prompting a government ban in 2005.  (Getty Images/AFP/Arif Ali)



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(AP)  At least 11 people died and more than 100 people were injured at an annual spring festival in eastern Pakistan celebrated with the flying of thousands of colorful kites, officials said Monday.

The deaths and injuries were caused by stray bullets, sharpened kite-strings, electrocution and people falling off rooftops on Sunday at the conclusion of the two-day Basant festival, said Ruqia Bano, spokeswoman for the emergency services in the city of Lahore.

The festival is regularly marred by casualties caused by sharp kite strings or celebratory gunshots fired into the air. Kite flyers often use strings made of wire or coated with ground glass to try to cross and cut a rival's string or damage the other kite, often after betting on the outcome.

Authorities temporarily lifted a ban on kite flying that was imposed following a string of deaths at the festival last year. Lahore Mayor Mian Amier Mahmood said the two-day permission to fly kites ended Sunday and that the ban has been re-imposed.

Police arrested more than 700 people for using sharpened kite strings or firing guns, and seized 282 illegally held weapons during this year's festival, said Aftab Cheema, a senior Lahore police officer.

Five of those who died on Sunday were hit by stray bullets, including a 6-year-school boy who was struck in the head near his home in the city's Mazang area, Bano said.

A 16-year-old girl and a school boy, 12, died after their throats were slashed by metal kite strings in separate incidents. Two people were electrocuted while they tried to recover kites tangled in overhead power cables, Bano said.

A 13-year-old boy fell to his death from the roof of his home as he tried to catch a stray kite, and a 35-year-old woman fell off the roof of her home trying to stop her son from running after a stray kite, Bano said.

Basant — which means yellow in Hindi — symbolizes the yellow mustard flowers that usually blossom in Pakistan at this time of the year.





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No even Steven King could have thought this up, lol.
Posted by neojoker at 12:52 AM : Feb 27, 2007
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What's wrong with this picture? A nation that can't even have a safe festival to celebrate. Now I understand why fireworks is banned in some countries. There is no limit to the stupidity of some people.
Posted by Free Citizen at 10:31 PM : Feb 26, 2007
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Send free kites.
Posted by bildooreilly at 7:57 PM : Feb 26, 2007
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MITYWHITY, I'm usally with you, but I think you kinda lost your grip here.
Posted by gunnerv1 at 4:20 PM : Feb 26, 2007
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Vincenamy, remember to old slogan for the media- "If it bleeds, it leads" only bad news gets the attention, good news or progress is relagated to a singel colume in the third section on the back page.
Posted by gunnerv1 at 4:17 PM : Feb 26, 2007
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Hey Ya'all, Watch this! (just before the Redneck died)
Posted by gunnerv1 at 4:10 PM : Feb 26, 2007
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Please don,t tell anyone what you are you may end up in court.
Posted by fizzal-2009 at 3:57 PM : Feb 26, 2007
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hissteps4u:

Reading your post brings to mind some of the 'side show' activities done by our young (stupid) kids in cars. The activity I speak of are those who drive in circles burning up their tires, called 'donuts' in the streets. Dozens if not hundreds gather closely to watch, and when someone loses control of their car it usually means some spectators get ran over.

The interesting thought would be if the folks in Pakistan look at that news and wonder, "what morons would do such a thing?"
Posted by acauble1 at 2:49 PM : Feb 26, 2007
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OH BOY! I smell some abstract/film-noir style documentary!

This news story alone could be the basis for such a film! I'm telling ya', this would be the best horror movie that Steven King could only dream about! (and that would be one f'ked up dream).
Posted by acauble1 at 2:45 PM : Feb 26, 2007
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Where are all the atheists here? They could have a Hindu free-for-all with this? Why are they not here? Because, they are on mission with satan to oppose Jesus - MITYWHITY


Uh, dude, I think you need to sit down and take a few slow deep breaths. You are definitely about to lose it.

The story is about kites. I don't see anything in the article about Satan, Jesus, etc.

Get a grip, please. You're giving Christianity a bad name when you froth like this.



Posted by observantx at 2:30 PM : Feb 26, 2007
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