THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The attack of the stray dogs is continuing in Kerala. In the latest episode, a 90-year-old lost his life after being severely mauled by a pack at the popular beach town of Varkala, on Wednesday morning. In a similar incident in the same town, separated only by a few hours, a foreign tourist suffered minor injuries after being attacked by dogs at the beach.
The incidents came even as the shocking case of an old woman being mauled to death by dogs at another beach in the capital district is fresh in public memory.
Raghavan from Charuvila Veedu in Varkala was fast asleep on the bed in the verandah of his house when he came under attack from a pack of about seven dogs. The dogs managed to drag the frail nonagenarian a few metres before his loud cries brought neighbours and family to his rescue.
Local public told Express that the old man suffered severe injuries to his head and face, and that the skin on his legs was almost bitten off by the canines. He was immediately rushed to the government hospital at Varkala, from where he was referred to the Medical College Hospital where he was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit. Within a few hours, he succumbed to his injuries.
As Raghavan’s condition was critical, he was subjected to an immediate surgery and was being kept under observation in the ICU but he did not survive.
Meanwhile, a foreign tourist also suffered minor injuries after a few dogs at Varkala beach attacked him on Wednesday morning. He was taken to a nearby hospital, where he underwent treatment. The details, including his name, are yet to be disclosed.
Two months ago, a 65-year-old woman was mauled to death by at least 30 stray dogs at Pulluvila beach near Poovar in Thiruvanthapuram.
Though civic authorities came up with several programmes to control the stray dog menace by sterilising the aggressive stray dogs, their efforts have not been successful so far.