Three people, including two children, have died after their throats were slashed by glass-coated kite string used in competitions to slice the strings of other kites, Indian police said.

A three-year-old girl travelling with her parents in a car had her head out of the sunroof when her throat was cut by a kite string, her uncle said.

The other victims were a four-year-old boy who was also looking out of the sunroof of a car, and a man riding a motorbike.

The deaths occurred in New Delhi on Monday, which was India's Independence Day, when many people fly kites to celebrate.

The city government has banned the sale of glass-coated kite string following the three deaths.