A two and half-year-old girl was mauled to death by stray dogs on Friday, 12 April, while she was playing outside an under-construction apartment building in the Indian city of Hyderabad.
According to the police, the victim and her sister were attacked by two dogs while they were playing on the road outside the construction site where the children's father, a native of Chhattisgarh, had been working.
Child's Parents were Daily Wage Earners
The child was rushed to a local hospital. However, due to the severity of the injuries, she was referred to another government hospital in Hyderabad, where she was declared dead. The child's elder sister fortunately escaped unharmed.
The family originally from Chhattisgarh had shifted to Hyderabad only five months ago to earn a livelihood. Both the parents are daily wage workers.
Local Residents Claim They Complained to Civic Authorities but They Failed to Act
The cops have registered a case of suspicious death. According to residents of Shapur Nagar, Jeedimetla, where the incident took place, people in these localities have been facing problems daily due to the stray dogs.
However, they claim despite their complaints little has been done by civic authorities. In response to these concerns, cops have written to local municipal authorities, urging them to address the issue.
Stray Dog Attacks on the Rise in Hyderabad
This is not an isolated incident. Stray dog bites and fatal maulings of children have been disturbingly on the rise in and around Hyderabad, raising concerns among the residents.
A one-year-old boy was mauled to death by a pack of stray dogs when the child's father and other family members were asleep in their hut in Shamshabad near Hyderabad in February this year.
In December, a four-year-old boy died in Shaikpet after a pack of stray dogs entered his home, and attacked the child while he was in his cradle. A month before, a six-year-old boy was critically injured in an attack by a stray dog in Nandi Musalaiguda.
In February 2023, another four-year-old boy was captured on graphic CCTV footage being mauled to death by stray dogsin the Amberpet locality in Hyderabad.
