Kite mishaps: Army soldier, two others lost lives in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: Sankranthi festival turned tragedy for many after a series of unfortunate events unfolded, claiming the lives of an army Soldier, a young man, and an 8-class student in separate kite-related incidents across Hyderabad.

In the first incident, the victim was identified as Nayak Koteswara Reddy (30), hailing from Pedda Waltheru, Visakhapatnam, and serving as a naik (driver) at Langar House Military Hospital. According to Langar House Sub-Inspector Raghavendra, the incident occurred as Koteswara Reddy was descending from the Indria Reddy flyover in Langar House on his two-wheeler. A Chinese Manja thread, used for kite flying, became a fatal weapon as it wrapped around Reddy's neck, causing him to lose control and fall from his vehicle.

Koteswara Reddy, who had recently transferred from Delhi to Langar House Military Hospital, sustained severe injuries with his throat cut and bleeding. Shankar Goud, who was passing by, rushed Koteswara Reddy to the nearby military hospital in an auto. Despite the efforts of the medical staff, Koteswara Reddy succumbed to his injuries, and doctors pronounced him dead at 7:30 pm on Saturday. The soldier is survived by his wife Pratyusha and a one-year-old baby, residing in a rented house in Langarhouse Bapunagar.

The body was later transferred to Osmania Hospital for post-mortem, and the authorities handed it over to the grieving family. The police have initiated an investigation into the incident and conducted inspections at shops selling the banned Chinese Manja.

In another incident, a second-year degree student tragically lost his life while flying kites on Sunday. The incident happened in an apartment situated under Kompally Municipality in NCL Colony North. Akash (20), the victim and a second-year degree student, met with a fatal accident while engaging in kite-flying with his brother on the fifth floor of their apartment.

Eyewitnesses recounted that during the kite-flying activity, the wheel slipped from Akash's hand. In an attempt to retrieve the fallen kite wheel, Akash unintentionally stepped on a plastic sheet near the edge of the fifth floor, connecting two plots of the building. Unfortunately, Akash lost his balance and fell to the first floor, sustaining severe injuries to his ribs and head.

Despite immediate efforts to rush him to a nearby private hospital, Akash succumbed to his injuries en route. Akash's father, Rajashekar, is serving as an Assistant Sub-Inspector in Alwal police station. The authorities were alerted, and the Pet Basheerabad Police registered a case, launching an investigation into the circumstances leading to the young man's untimely demise.

In the third incident, a class 8 student Shiva Prasanna lost her life in a tragic accident related to kite flying. The young girl fell from the fourth floor while engaged in the festive tradition.