Stray dogs maul minor girl to death in Bijbehara

SRINAGAR — A minor girl was mauled to death by stray dogs in Waghama area of Bijbehara in southern Kashmir’s Anantnag district on Thursday.

An official informed the news agency KNO that a minor girl identified as Arshima (06), daughter of Ghulam Nabi Wani was attacked by stray dogs in her native village.

He said the girl sustained grievous injuries in the incident and was shifted to the hospital, where she was declared dead.

Meanwhile, the police have taken cognisance of the incident.

Following the incident, locals staged protests and demanded action from the government. They expressed frustration over the frequent presence of packs of dogs on roads.

“The increasing numbers of these stray dogs pose a grave threat to the lives of people. Movement, especially during morning and evening hours, has become difficult for children, elders, and women,” said a local woman.

Residents alleged that the mysterious rise in the dog population was due to their transportation from urban areas during night hours.

“This has made life difficult for us. There is a fear among our children who are unable to move freely due to the presence of these dogs,” Shakeel Ahmad, a resident, said.

Locals appealed to the concerned authorities to tackle the menace promptly for the convenience of the people. “It has become difficult during morning and evening hours to move around freely. Due to the large number of dogs, people, especially the elderly and children, feel unsafe venturing out of their homes,” said another local.

Despite several attempts to bring the issue to the attention of higher authorities, no action has been taken, residents lamented. They once again urged authorities to address the problem immediately.