Lagatar24 Desk
Hyderabad: In a heart-wrenching incident, an 18-month-old boy was mauled to death by a pack of stray dogs in Hyderabad, police reported today. The tragedy occurred in the Jawahar Nagar area on Tuesday night while the boy was playing outside his home.
The toddler, named Vihaan, was suddenly attacked by a stray dog that dragged him away. Soon, other stray dogs joined in, inflicting severe injuries on the helpless child. Despite the desperate efforts of his parents, Bharat and Lakshmi, who rushed out upon hearing his cries and chased away the dogs, the injuries proved fatal. Vihaan was taken to a hospital but was declared dead upon arrival.
Following a complaint from the grief-stricken family, the Jawahar Nagar police have registered a case. The family had recently migrated to Hyderabad from Siddipet and lived in an area that houses many migrant families and is near a landfill managed by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC).
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy expressed deep sorrow over the incident and instructed officials to take swift action against the stray dog menace. He emphasized the need to establish a call centre or a toll-free number to facilitate the reporting of stray dog incidents.
This tragic event has once again underscored the persistent problem of stray dogs in Hyderabad. The city, along with other towns and villages in the state, frequently reports dog bite cases. Despite previous incidents leading to temporary measures by municipal authorities, the issue remains unresolved.
Recent incidents include the death of a five-month-old baby in Telangana’s Vikarabad district in May, where a stray dog entered a house and attacked the unattended child. In April, a two-and-a-half-year-old girl was killed by stray dogs while playing outside a construction site in Hyderabad’s Gayatri Nagar area. Similar tragic incidents occurred in December 2023 and February 2023, resulting in the deaths of infants due to stray dog attacks.
In response to these ongoing incidents, municipal authorities have previously announced new measures to curb the stray dog population. However, residents claim that these measures have not led to significant improvements in safety on the ground.
The latest tragedy highlights the urgent need for effective and sustained actions to address the stray dog menace and ensure the safety of residents in Hyderabad and surrounding areas.
