Video: Biker's Heart-Stopping Moment As Chinese Manjha Wraps Around Neck, Slices His Shirt

A biker narrowly escaped a fatal accident in Varanasi after a banned glass-coated kite string, known as Chinese manjha, wrapped around his neck while he was riding. Shahabuddin Ansari recorded and shared a vlog showing the immediate aftermath of the incident. In the video, Ansari explained that he was riding his bike when the sharp string became entangled around his neck. He credited his safety gear for saving his life, noting that if he hadn't been wearing a helmet, the manjha would have struck his neck directly.

He sustained a minor cut on his right shoulder and reported that his helmet strap was damaged by the abrasive string. The video captured the moment the dangerous string obstructed his path. 

“Toh aap log jo video dekh rahe ho, usme mera manjha ke wajah se accident hote hote bach gaya. Mujhe toh bhagwaan ki daya se kuch hua nahi hai, lekin yeh check karo (So in the video you are watching, I narrowly escaped an accident because of manjha. By God's grace, nothing happened to me, but look at this,” he says in the video. He then pointed towards his shoulders and showed his shirt that had been torn.

Watch the video here:

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A post shared by Shahabuddin Ansari (@its.saaho17)

The video sparked a lot of reactions, with some people expressing relief and others highlighting the dangers of the Chinese manjha. One user wrote, "That's great you are safe, but you should collect and dismantle the door for other people's safety. You were lucky; maybe they won't be."

Another said, "Wrap a muffler around for 3 days! Why to stop celebrating when precautions can be taken care of?"

'String' of Incidents

Despite official bans in many Indian states, the use of Chinese manjha - a synthetic string coated with glass powder or metal - peaks during festivals like Makar Sankranti. Its high tensile strength and razor-sharp coating make it nearly invisible and lethal to commuters, particularly motorcyclists who can't spot them on roads.

Some recent incidents are:

• Indore: A 45-year-old tile contractor, Raghuveer Dhakad, died on January 11, after his throat was slit by the string.
• Bidar: A 48-year-old man died on January 14 after a similar accident while on his way to pick up his daughter.
• Jaipur: A six-year-old boy lost his life on January 14 after the string slit his throat while he was looking out of a car's sunroof. 
• Sangareddy: A 35-year-old man died after the manja of a flying kite got entangled around his neck and caused a deep cut.