Massive Kite Pulls 3-Year-Old Girl High Into the Air During Kite Festival in Taiwan

The video of the incident, which was shot at the fourth international kite festival, quickly went viral on social media on Aug,. 30, reported CBC.

The kite was carried up by unexpected strong winds measuring at level 7 on the Beaufort Scale, reaching speeds of up to 32-38 miles per hour (50-61 kilometers per hour), CNN reported. Strong winds are common in this northern part of the country.

 

The girl, only identified by her surname Lin, was caught by the tail of the kite, Taiwan News reported. Operators were able to take control of the kite, but the traumatizing event lasted for 30 seconds.

The girl was pulled to safety and only suffered minor scratches from the incident. She was later taken to the hospital along with her mother.

The kite would reportedly scatter candy while in the sky for the children to catch, explained secretary-general of the Taiwan-based Asian Kite Forum, Chen Ko-fang. Children were not supposed to be near the area until the kite was already in the air.

“The city government team offers its sincere apology to the victim and the public,” Mayor Lin Chih-chien said.

The city government also canceled the event after the incident.

Feature Image via NTV Houston