Ara/Patna: A six-year-old boy has died and his three-year-old brother is in critical condition after they were mauled by a pack of stray dogs while playing outside their grandmother’s home in Bhojpur district.
The tragic incident occurred in Aditya Nagar, under the jurisdiction of Udwantnagar police station, when Ayansh Kumar and his younger brother Reyansh Kumar were playing near a canal. The brothers had arrived at their maternal grandmother’s house just days earlier to spend the summer holidays.
According to family and local residents, the attack happened while the children’s mother, Priyanka Devi, was away at the market. A neighbour heard the children’s screams and rushed to help, managing to free them from the dogs’ grip. Both children were rushed to hospital, but Ayansh was declared dead on arrival. Reyansh was referred to a facility in Patna for further treatment and remains in a serious condition.
The boys’ father, Deepu Kumar, who works in the private sector, has been informed of the incident. The family is in deep shock, with both the mother and grandmother reported to have fainted after receiving the news.
Local authorities say the district has seen a surge in dog bite cases, with over 2,400 incidents reported in Bhojpur since January. Of these, more than 1,300 were attributed to stray dogs. The incident has sparked renewed criticism of the municipal corporation, which is responsible for animal control and vaccination programmes.
Veterinary officials say that stray dogs often feed on carcasses and waste, making them aggressive and unpredictable. Calls are growing for increased sterilisation drives and stricter regulation of pet vaccinations to prevent further tragedies.
The incident follows a similar attack in Patna, where four children were injured by stray dogs on Monday, with one suffering serious facial injuries.
