KOLKATA: Unrestricted kite flying in the Park Circus-Tiljala area ever since the beginning of the lockdown — especially on the approach to Maa flyover at both ends —claimed a life on Saturday evening.
Akhtar Khan, a 40-year-old resident of Kabitirtha in Kidderpore, died after the Chinese thread of a flying kite got tangled around his neck and knocked him off his bike. The incident was reported on the AJC Bose Road flyover-Maa flyover connector at 5.15pm. He was taken to CNMC Hospital where doctors declared him dead.
Though similar accidents have been reported on the twin flyovers for the past three years — leading to about 25-odd accidents, some of them serious — this is the first fatal accident of its kind. The incident was also the first recorded fatality in the Kolkata Police area since April 3, thus ending the accident-free run of Kolkata Police during the lockdown.
Police sources said the man was riding at a speed a little higher than allowed when the thread caught his neck at a crucial bend. A case in this regard has been initiated at the Beniapukur police station.
KMDA had planned several measures to tackle the kite-thread menace at this spot but could not implement them. Earlier, three back-to-back accidents took place between April 1 and April 5 on the Maa flyover stretch here, where two of the victims happened to be a special branch cop and a banker. The cops launched a drive to control such accidents. Saturday’s incident shows the relief was a short one.
Akhtar Khan, a 40-year-old resident of Kabitirtha in Kidderpore, died after the Chinese thread of a flying kite got tangled around his neck and knocked him off his bike. The incident was reported on the AJC Bose Road flyover-Maa flyover connector at 5.15pm. He was taken to CNMC Hospital where doctors declared him dead.
Though similar accidents have been reported on the twin flyovers for the past three years — leading to about 25-odd accidents, some of them serious — this is the first fatal accident of its kind. The incident was also the first recorded fatality in the Kolkata Police area since April 3, thus ending the accident-free run of Kolkata Police during the lockdown.
Police sources said the man was riding at a speed a little higher than allowed when the thread caught his neck at a crucial bend. A case in this regard has been initiated at the Beniapukur police station.
KMDA had planned several measures to tackle the kite-thread menace at this spot but could not implement them. Earlier, three back-to-back accidents took place between April 1 and April 5 on the Maa flyover stretch here, where two of the victims happened to be a special branch cop and a banker. The cops launched a drive to control such accidents. Saturday’s incident shows the relief was a short one.
Coronavirus outbreak
Trending Topics
LATEST VIDEOS
More from TOI
Navbharat Times
Featured Today in Travel
Get the app