Sitapur again: Dogs critically injure 70-year-old woman

LUCKNOW: There was no end to the canine menace in Sitapur villages as a pack of feral dogs critically injured 70-year-old woman, Shiv Kumari, in Sujawanpur locality of Khairabad town area on Saturday morning, police said.

The woman suffered injuries in her right leg and is undergoing treatment at Sitapur district hospital.

Police said the feral dogs attacked the woman when she was guarding an orchard near her house at around 8 am. Sharad, a resident, said the feral dogs were so ferocious that they bit away flesh on her right leg but her family members and others rushed to her rescue and chased the dogs away.

He said the orchard is located only a few metres from the town area, enabling people to respond quickly and save the woman’s life. Otherwise, the feral dogs would have caused her more injuries, he said. The woman told locals a pack of four dogs attacked her, he said.

“So far, attacks by feral dogs were reported only from secluded places in adjoining village areas, but the Saturday incident has even caused fear among people living in populated areas,” he stressed.

At least 14 children have died in attacks by feral dogs in Sitapur villages since November last year.

The frequency of attacks has increased in the past few weeks. At least, eight children were killed since May 1.

Moreover, seven people, including six children and the elderly women, were seriously injured this month. While an extensive combing operation was on in villages affected by canine scare, the pack of dogs remained untraceable till Saturday evening.