The victim, Karthiyani Amma, had arrived at her son’s residence in Karthikapalli earlier on Tuesday. According to reports, the elderly woman was sitting outside the house when the dog attacked her.

She was unable to defend herself as she was frail and suffering from multiple ailments.

Pankajakshan, a local resident, told that no one was home during the attack, and the dog had severely mauled her face, even biting both her eyes.

Neighbours rushed her to a nearby hospital, but she was declared dead on arrival. Police have stated that a postmortem examination will be conducted on Wednesday, after which the body will be handed over to her relatives.

Kerala has been grappling with an increasing number of stray dog attacks.

The state’s street dog population is estimated to be around 2.90 lakh, and attacks have become a pressing public safety issue.

Rabies caused by stray dog bites has claimed 47 lives in Kerala over the past four years, according to a Right to Information (RTI) response from the State Health Department.

There have also been 22 probable rabies deaths reported during the same period, with the highest occurring in 2022 and 2023.

As per Annual Rabies Death Statistics, there were five confirmed deaths in 2020; 11 confirmed deaths in 2021; 15 confirmed deaths and 12 probable deaths in 2022; 15 confirmed deaths and 10 probable deaths in 2023; one confirmed death in January 2024.

The increasing frequency of such incidents underscores the need for effective measures to control the stray dog population and prevent rabies outbreaks.

Courtesy Media Group: IANS