Parents and adults have been urged to supervise children closely while kite flying, after a rise in accidents linked to the activity during the school holidays.
The warning came in a special notice from the Acting Director of the Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children, Consultant Dr. Pradeep Rathnasekara, who said kite flying has grown more popular because of the current dry weather and the school vacation.
Falls, collisions and power lines
Dr. Rathnasekara said accidents commonly occur when children fly kites in groups, through collisions and falls, and when children climb to elevated positions to launch or retrieve kites.
The most serious danger, he said, is kite string becoming entangled with high-voltage power lines. Electricity can travel down the string to the person holding it.
Such shocks can cause extensive damage to tissue, blood vessels and nerves in the hands, arms and chest, he said. In severe cases, badly damaged tissue or part of an affected limb may have to be surgically removed.
He added that strings made of electrically conductive materials can cause instantly fatal shocks on contact with high-voltage lines, and that parents have a responsibility to keep children away from areas where power lines are present.
While children’s enjoyment matters, their safety must be given equal priority, Dr. Rathnasekara said, urging the public to act responsibly during the holidays.
The advisory follows a busy kite season. Airport authorities warned this month against flying kites near the flight paths at Bandaranaike International Airport, and Colombo hosted an international kite festival drawing flyers from 30 countries. The dry conditions that make kite flying attractive have also pushed temperatures sharply higher across much of the country.
