Stray Dogs Menace Claims Life of Another Child in Telangana

Hyderabad, March 14 (IANS) The menace of stray dogs claimed the life of another child in Telangana with a five-year-old succumbing to rabies in Khammam district.

Banoth Bharath, who was bitten by stray dogs a few days ago, had developed symptoms of rabies and he succumbed while being brought to Hyderabad for treatment.

According to the child's parents, B. Ravinder and Sandhya, he was injured when a pack of stray dogs attacked him while he was playing near his house in Putani thanda in Raghunadhapalem mandal.

The boy fell sick on Sunday and his parents took him to a private hospital in Khammam. After examining the boy, doctors suspected it to be a case of rabies and advised parents to take him to Hyderabad.

Ravinder and Sandhya along with their son left for Hyderabad by a TSRTC bus. However, the child's condition deteriorated enroute and he succumbed near Suryapet on Monday.

Officials of the medical and health department said they were examining the medical reports of Bharath.

This is the second death due to stray dog menace in the state in less than a month.

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

Meanwhile, two children were injured and seven goats were killed by stray dogs in two separate incidents in Khammam and Vikarabad districts on Monday.

Dornala Vivek, 5, was bitten by dogs when he was playing in front of his house at Jilugumadu village under Madhira municipality limits in Khammam district. His father came to his rescue and shooed the dogs away. The boy suffered injuries on his hands and has been shifted to a nearby hospital for treatment.

A 12-year-old boy was injured when stray dogs attacked him in Vikarabad district. Shivkumar Reddy was returning home from the fields on Monday evening when a pack of stray dogs mauled him. He sustained grievous injuries on his face. He was initially taken to a government hospital near the town and was later shifted to Mahabubnagar.

Series of incidents in different parts of the state during the last one month have frightened people. Following the incident in Hyderabad last month, the municipal authorities had announced several measures to check the menace of stray dogs but citizens say the measures are yet to be implemented on the ground.