Dog-bite spree sparks panic in Madhya Pradesh's Vidisha; over 50 injured

BHOPAL: A spate of stray dog attacks has triggered panic in Vidisha town of Madhya Pradesh. More than 50 people have visited hospitals for anti-rabies shots in just 48 hours.
A video of a couple describing the horrifying moment when a dog pinned down their five-year-old girl has gone viral, adding to the scare.
By Friday evening, Vidisha District Hospital had recorded 30 cases of dog bites, followed by 25 more by Saturday noon, said Dr Sameer Kirar.Four of them were so badly mauled that they have been hospitalized and are under observation, he said, adding that two dozen people have been given anti-rabies injections.
Locals say there have been several cases of unprovoked dog attacks in the last 24 hours but the administration hasn't done much to tackle it. There is also a shortage of anti-rabies vials in the area, they say. One of the victims had three stitches in his calf after being bitten on Friday evening.
"No one can understand what is triggering these vicious attacks," said Abhinav Chaturvedi, a local scribe.
Terrified by dog-bite spree, residents want civic action
CCTV footage of one of the attacks shows how a five-year-old was chased and attacked by a dog near her house.
When the dog pinned her to the ground, some residents ran to her rescue and shooed away the dog. She is being treated for bites to her legs, said a doctor.
Officials said they are not sure if it was a rabid dog.
A six-year-old girl has been admitted to the district hospital after being critically injured by a dog on the main road near Tilak Chowk Jama Masjid.
Residents have requested political leaders to get municipal authorities to crack down on the dog-bite menace. tnn