A three-year-old toddler was mauled to death and her six-year-old cousin sister was injured after a pack of stray dogs attacked them in Agra.

The incident took place in Kumargarh village under Doki police station limits.

“A three-year-old girl, Kanchan, was attacked by stray dogs when she was playing in front of her house. She was dragged by the dogs to an open field outside the village,” Sub-Inspector Ashok Kumar said.

The other girl, Rashmi (8), who tried to rescue the toddler, was also attacked by the dogs, but she managed to run to safety, the official added.

By the time the locals gathered and chased the dogs away, the three-year-old had succumbed to her injuries, the police said.

“While the family is yet to file an official complaint, the other girl is undergoing treatment,” said Kumar, who had accompanied Assistant Commissioner of Police Saurabh Singh to the village after the incident.

Meanwhile, four people, including two children, were killed and several others were injured after a fire broke out at an illegal firecracker godown in Gunnaur locality of Sambhal district on Tuesday.

Guddo (40), Anam (25), Sumaiya (12) and an unidentified minor died in the accident, police said.

District Magistrate Manish Bansal said that a fire broke out in Sabir Ali’s firecrackers godown in Sarai locality in which three people died due to the explosion.

According to the community health centre at Gunnaur, Dr Pawan Kumar, the unidentified minor who was referred to Aligarh for treatment, succumbed to injuries on the way. Three people died on the spot and their bodies were brought to CHC, he said, adding that the injured had been admitted to a hospital for treatment.

Superintendent of Police Chakresh Mishra said that Ali had stored firecrackers in the residential area apart from the place where he had taken permission. Following this, Ali was arrested, he said.

Meanwhile, a minor girl allegedly attacked by her neighbor was found dead on Tuesday night.

The incident took place in Bijnor and a murder case was registered against five neighbours of the victim.

According to Poonam Devi, the mother of the victim, on Tuesday afternoon, her daughter, Manisha, was assaulted by her neighbours so she and other relatives went and rescued her. They all later went to the farm to get fodder for the cattle and left Manisha so she could take rest. When they returned home in the night, Manisha was lying dead in the house.

On the complaint of Poonam Devi, the local police registered a case and sent the body for autopsy.

Meanwhile, in another shocking incident, an elderly person died a painful death late on Tuesday night in Baghpat. A fire suddenly broke out in a hut on Chamrawal Road in the city. Due to the fire, the old man and three bovines sleeping in the hut were burnt alive. Fire engines reached the spot on getting information and controlled the fire.  Police sent the dead body for post-mortem. The victim, Jaipal (60) had gone to sleep in the hut to take care of his three cows in the colony located near the women’s police station when the fire broke out.