UP villagers kill dogs after 20 children mauled to death

Residents in Uttar Pradesh's Sitapur district, about 90 km from here, have killed around a dozen dogs after 20 children were mauled to death by the canines in different parts of the district in the past few days.

According to the reports, terrified residents carrying lathis and guns have been chasing the dogs and killing them.

Reports said that around half a dozen dogs were shot dead on Thursday alone.

Officials in Sitapur said that two teams of dog-catching squads had been sent to the places from where reports of the dog attacks were received. "We have caught over three dozen dogs in the past couple of days....they will be released in the forests," said a senior forest official in Sitapur on Friday.

The residents of Chaubepur, Pirpur, Tikaria, Gurpalia, Kolia Paharpur and other villages, where stray dogs had mauled many children to death and critically wounded several others, accused the administration of doing nothing to tackle the canine menace.

Reports said that a 10-year-old child was reportedly mauled to death by stray dogs at Burhanapur village in the district on Friday.

The people were so terrified that they have stopped their children from playing in the open areas without the presence of the elders.

A video showing a cop opening fire at a dog also went viral on the social networking sites on Friday, though the police officials have denied reports.