Rabid dog holds 85 kids ‘hostage’ on school campus in Etawah

KANPUR: Fear of a rabid stray dog led to the lockdown of 85 children at a primary school in UP’s Etawah on Friday.The scare began when the dog repeatedly bit a boy as he walked out of the school gates once the classes got over. Locals somehow rescued the badly injured boy and rushed him to a hospital. In the meantime, the dog returned to the school gates and started attacking commuters at will, leading to widespread panic.School headmistress Vijaya Yadav promptly locked all the children in a room and safely sent them home through the back wall of the school.“The younger children were taken out through the back wall of the school and handed over to their parents,” the headmistress said. The dog became very aggressive, so it was necessary to lock the children for their safety, she added.Villager Anuj said that attempts were made to scare the dog away with stones and sticks, but the dog kept returning and was ready to attack anyone.After much effort, the villagers managed to drive the dog away. There is still an atmosphere of fear in the village because the dog has gone mad and could attack again at any time.In Etawah district, the menace of dogs is increasing. Recently, a 12-year-old boy was mauled to death by a pet dog. The police later arrested the dog’s owner and booked him under serious charges.