THE VICTIM: Dilip Kumar showing the wound on his arm after a dog bit him at Lakshmanapuri slum, near Ananda Rao circle, in Bangalore on Friday. — Photo: Sampath Kumar G.P.

BANGALORE: Sixteen people were bitten by a stray dog at Lakshmanapuri slum near Ananda Rao Circle here on Friday morning. The dog is suspected to be rabid.

According to the residents, a stray dog near Yellamma Dasappa temple was offered biscuits. As it was eating, some persons came close to it and the canine suddenly became wild and started chasing people.

It bit three persons, including Jillavar (35), a labourer. He was badly bitten on his left leg.

Boy bitten

Then, for some time the dog was found asleep in a bylane. Around 10 a.m., the dog saw Manikanta (11) carrying home a food packet and pounced on him, snatched the packet and bit him on his left hand.

After that the dog went berserk and bit 80-year-old Venkatamma and a six-year-old boy. It then entered another bylane and bit Dilip Kumar (10), who was about to go to school.

It also bit nine other people in the area.

Fear

Most of the residents who got terrified locked themselves up inside their homes. Some youngsters of the area trapped the dog and tied it.

Taken away

Two hours after being alerted, the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike personnel came to the spot and took away the dog for examination.

The dog would be kept under observation, they said.

Mahesh Yadav, a local resident who helped the victims, said he hired an autorickshaw and took the help of others to take the victims to Maruti Nursing Home, which is nearby.

But personnel there directed them to government hospitals. The victims chose to go to K.C. General Hospital, but were greeted with a "No rabies vaccine" board.

They were then taken to hospitals at Sriramapuram and Seshadripuram, which too did not have the vaccines.

Vaccine administered

The victims were again brought back to Maruti Nursing Home where only three of the victims were administered the vaccine.

Injection

"As we were able to pool Rs. 1,200, the private hospital administered the anti-rabies vaccine to three persons. Eight persons were given tetanus toxoid injection and were asked to come on Saturday for getting the rabies vaccine administered. The remaining people went to Victoria Hospital," Mr. Yadav said.

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