Stray dogs maul to death another child in Telangana

Hyderabad, May 19 (IANS) In yet another shocking incident, an eight-year-old boy was mauled to death by stray dogs in Telangana.

The incident occurred near Kazipet railway quarters in Hanamkonda district on Friday morning.

A pack of stray dogs pounced on the boy, who was sleeping alone under a tree. The hapless boy could not escape and died on the spot.

The victim was identified as Chotu, son of migrant labourers from Uttar Pradesh. The family had arrived at Kazipet railway station on Thursday night and had slept at a nearby park. The boy's parents had gone to attend nature's call, leaving behind the child.

On their return, the parents were shocked to see the boy lying in a pool of blood. They took him to a hospital but he had already succumbed.

The parents were inconsolable. The family was on their way to Ajmer and had arrived at Kazipet on Thursday night.

Government chief whip Vinay Bhaskar and Mayor Gundu Sudha Rani visited the hospital and consoled the boy's parents.

Police shifted the body of Chotu to MGM Hospital for autopsy.

This is the latest in a series of such incidents in Telangana. At least four children have lost their lives and several others injured in stray dog attacks across the state during the last four months.

This is the second incident in Warangal district. A child had succumbed to his injuries sustained in an attack by stray dogs last month.

A four-year-old boy was mauled to death by a pack of stray dogs in Hyderabad on February 19. The heart-wrenching incident had occurred in a car servicing centre where the boy's father was working as a watchman.

A five-year-old boy succumbed to rabies in Khammam district in March. He was bitten by stray dogs and later developed symptoms of rabies.

A series of such incidents across the state has shocked people. After February 19 incident in Hyderabad, municipal authorities had announced several measures to check the menace of stray dogs but citizens say the measures had no impact on the ground.