The Punjab home department submitted a report to the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday stating that 17 people died during the recent Basant festival in Lahore.

The three-day Basant festival was held in Lahore from February 6-8, following the Punjab government’s decision to lift a ban on the historic event after 18 years, with strict regulations.

However, despite the government’s emphasis on safety measures, over 100 accidents were reported in connection with the festival.

The petition, heard by Justice Owais Khalid, sought the details of deaths and injuries during Basant.

According to the report, three people died of electrocution during the festival, and two died after falling from trees. In addition, 12 people lost their lives falling from roofs, the report added.

The LHC also sought details of people injured by kite strings during Basant. According to the petitioner’s lawyer, Advocate Azhar Siddique, the data was not provided.

Earlier this month, the court summoned a police report on the deaths and injuries reported during the Basant festival while hearing petitions filed by the Judicial Activism Panel and others challenging the Punjab Regulation of Kite Flying Ordinance 2025.

The kite-flying festival was banned in 2007 in Punjab because of an increasing number of deaths and serious injuries caused by sharp strings, particularly to motorcyclists and pillion riders, as well as by celebratory gunfire.

Upon its revival, under the new Punjab Regulation of Kite Flying Ordinance 2025, only thread-based kite strings were allowed to be manufactured and the use of metallic, chemical-coated, or sharp strings was strictly banned.

Other safety measures included the division of the provincial metropolis into three kite-flying zones under 24/7 surveillance, the installing of protective safety wires or antennas on motorcycles to prevent neck injuries, and a ban on aerial firing and the consumption of alcohol on rooftops during the festival.

After the festival, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif had praised authorities for organising a “safe Basant” in Lahore. She also stated that there was not a single death caused by injuries from kite strings during the festival.