Two children die peeking out of car sunroofs as kite strings slash their throats

Two children have been killed after the glass-coated string used to fly kites slashed their throats. Both incidents happened in Delhi when the youngsters were looking out from a car’s sunroof. In the first instance, three-year-old Sanchi Goyal died when she peered out of the car while out for a drive with her parents and the razor sharp wire, known as manja, sliced her throat. She died in her mother’s lap, before they reached hospital. In the other, a four-year-old boy named Harry was thrown back on to the seat almost immediately, bleeding heavily from his neck after a kite string cut deep into his flesh. He later died in hospital.

A case has been registered under section 304(A) (causing death by negligence) and we have to determine whether it was Chinese manja that took the girl’s life,

Police chief Vijay Singh says an investigation is under way

In recent years, cheap synthetic and nylon kite strings from China have flooded Indian markets. The imported product is coated with powdered glass, making it both extremely sharp and strong. The Delhi government is going to impose a ban on its sale and use, with people violating the ban facing up to five years in jail and a fine. It is also a problem elsewhere in India. Police raided shops selling the string in the north-eastern city of Rampur after a 23-year-old man, Anas Shamsi, died when his throat was sliced as he was riding his motorcycle.

kite string