HSINCHU, Aug 31 — A three-year-old girl entangled in the tail of a giant kite survived a terrifying ride after being swept more than 30 metres into the air during a kite festival in Taiwan, video footage posted on social media yesterday showed.

Horrified spectators screamed as the girl was catapulted high above them, where she was spun helplessly at the end of the kite's long orange streamer as it soared and swooped in the high wind.

It took some 30 seconds before the girl's nightmare ended and she was pulled back to the ground by members of the crowd as the kite was brought back under control.

Identifying the girl solely by the surname Lin, local news reports said she amazingly only suffered minor cuts.

The distress caused by the sight the near disaster persuaded organisers to cut short the festival in Hsinchu city in northwestern Taiwan.

A Hsinchu city government official told media that a sudden gust of wind at the site, which is know for its strong winds, caused the kite's tail to wrap around the child's waist.

Video of the incident was shared by festival-goers on social media and quickly racked up millions of views. — Reuters