13-Year-Old Girl Mauled To Death By Stray Dogs As Locals Looked On Helplessly

In a horrific incident, a minor girl in India was mauled to death by a pack of stray dogs while she was returning from her family's field.

The incident took place Tuesday morning in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh. The 13-year-old had gone out to the family's agriculture field beside a canal when the dogs attacked her, the Times of India reported. Locals, who saw the dogs approaching the girl, could not do anything to save her from the ferocious dogs.

The victim was identified as Neha Maurya. Police said Maurya suffered serious injuries and died at the scene. Her body was sent for an autopsy to get further details.

Forest range officer Satyendra Chaudhary, who was assigned to investigate the incident, said the stray dogs had been surviving on cattle remains and attacked the girl because they were hungry. The number of dogs involved in the incident was not revealed.

Senior officials urged forest authorities to remove the dogs from near the human settlement to avoid any such attack. After consultation with experts, authorities will decide whether the dogs will be sterilized, the Times of India reported.

There have been several incidents in the past where local authorities have failed to tackle the problem of stray dogs, which have led to such animal attacks.

In August, an 11-year-old boy died after he was attacked by stray dogs in the southern Indian state of Karnataka. According to local reports at the time, the child was on his way home from school when the dogs charged at him.

He sustained multiple injuries and damage to his esophagus. Ten dogs were involved in the attack.

Police later arrested an assistant director and a senior inspector in the Animal Husbandry Department for alleged negligence in the incident. The officials were booked under Section 289 (negligent conduct with respect to animal) and Section 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others), the Hindu reported.

The mother of the child had accused local officials of neglecting the problem of stray dogs in the neighborhood.