Rawalpindi - A 60-year-old man died of rabies here at Dhoke Baba Mureed.
The deceased identified as Muhammad Nazir alias Jeeru was buried in a local graveyard.
According to family members, a mad dog bit Muhammad Nazir in nearby fields some days ago at Dhoke Baba Mureed, a thickly populated area of Dhamial.
Nazir was brought to hospital where doctors confirmed that he contracted rabies because of dog bite.
A family member and a large number of locals disclosed to The Nation yesterday that the number of rabies-infected dogs and other animals like jackals and wolves has increased in the area and they were attacking the people and animals. They said that they were afraid of moving outside even during daylight.
They asked the government to take action to eliminate the rabies-infected dogs from the area.
Zaitoon Begum, an old lady, while talking to this correspondent, said that she and her other family members were living in a state of fear because mad dogs, jackals and wolves infected with rabies have started biting the animals and residents.
She said that the area people avoid from going outside their homes and prefer to stay indoor because of fear of being bitten by mad dogs and jackals.
“The district government and live stock department are taking no action against such mad animals,” she complained.
District Coordination Officer (DCO) Sajid Zafar Dall, when contacted, said that he would dispatch special teams to the area to monitor the situation. He said that the mad dogs and other animals would be culled.