Wolves maul to death child, injure woman in UP's Bahraich; animal attack cases reported in Sitapur
Bahraich/Sitapur (UP), Sep 2: A two-year-old girl was killed and a septuagenarian woman injured in separate wolf attack incidents in the Mahsi division of Bahraich district while reports of suspected animal attacks were also received from neighbouring Sitapur district.
District Magistrate (Bahraich) Monika Rani said this was the eighth death in wolf attacks since July 17.
Seven children were among those killed in the attacks and about 30 injured, she said.
According to officials, two-year-old Anjali was sleeping with her mother outside their home in the Garethi Gurudutt Singh village of the Hardi area on Sunday when she was taken by a wolf.
The child's mutilated body was found a kilometre from the village, the officials said and added that the wolf had eaten both her hands.
In the second incident, 70-year-old Kamala Devi from Mauja Kotiya village in the Barabigha area was injured when a wolf entered her house and attacked her early on Monday, they said.
She was admitted to the district hospital with injuries on her neck, mouth and ears and her condition was stated to be stable, they added.
The administration has already caught four wolves and is working to catch the others, District Magistrate Rani said.
However, the presence over a hundred revenue villages in the district has compounded the problem, with the wolves attacking a new village every four to five days, she said.
People are being made aware about the situation and told to sleep inside their homes with the doors closed or on rooftops, Rani said.
According to reports, two wolves are attacking but the forest department is collecting information about the exact number, she added.
Superintendent of Police Vrinda Shukla and Rani took stock of the situation and met the toddler's family members. They have also directed that the injured woman gets proper treatment.
In neighbouring Sitapur, fear gripped residents of Parsehra Sharikpur village after three women were injured in attacks by unidentified animals.
While locals claimed that the women were attacked by wolves, forest department officials suspect that a jackal was behind the attacks.
A forest department team collected animal samples and footprints and ruled out a wolf or tiger attack.
A Parsehra Sharikpur official said Rosida (30) was asleep with her three children in her home when she was attacked. Rosida suffered claw injuries on her hand.
Two more women -- 60-year-old Ramshree and 65-year-old Kailasha -- were attacked, the official added.
The official said villagers immediately informed the forest department and alleged that the women were attacked by a wolf.
Divisional Forest Officer Naveen Khandelwal told reporters, "Our team did not find footprints of any wild animal such as wolf, tiger, leopard or panther. Footprints of jackals were found and were confirmed by forest teams."
He also appealed to the public to avoid spreading rumours about animal attacks and creating panic.
"If any animal is found, people should immediately report to the forest department so that we could help them out on time," he added.
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India, Jamaica agree to boost trade, skilled mobility: Jaishankar
Kingston (PTI): India and Jamaica agreed to further strengthen trade linkages and explore cooperation for recruitment and mobility of skilled professionals, including healthcare workers and teachers, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said.
Addressing a joint press conference here after talks with his Jamaican counterpart Kamina J Smith on Monday, Jaishankar said the discussions were comprehensive, and they reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral ties, identifying new avenues to deepen the partnership.
"We signed several important agreements and discussed effective implementations of MOUs which have been recently concluded in the fields of digital transformation, cultural exchange, sports and digital payments to ensure tangible outcomes on the ground," he said.
India recognised Jamaica's growing role as a logistics hub and gateway to the Caribbean for trade and investment, Jaishankar said.
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"We agreed to further strengthen trade, business and investment linkages, explore cooperation for recruitment and mobility of skilled professionals, including nurses, healthcare workers and teachers," he said.
The two sides also discussed expanding cooperation in defence and security, healthcare, digitisation, agriculture, education and infrastructure, the minister said.
Highlighting development cooperation as a key pillar of ties, Jaishankar noted the successful completion of the Improving Rural Livelihoods Project in Kitson Town in March 2026, implemented with Indian assistance of USD 1 million under the India-UN Development Partnership Fund, benefiting over 200 individuals and impacting thousands more.
He said India is also discussing the feasibility of establishing an artisan empowerment hub in Jamaica and reiterated support for the country's recovery following Hurricane Melissa.
As part of humanitarian assistance, India has supplied relief material, deployed a medical team and is in the process of providing 30 dialysis units. It is also sending 40 fishing boats and 200 GPS units to aid recovery efforts.
The ministers reaffirmed close cooperation in multilateral fora and discussed issues such as reformed multilateralism, climate justice and priorities of the Global South.
India appreciated Jamaica’s support for its candidature for a non-permanent seat at the UN Security Council for 2028-29.
Both sides strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms and called for early finalisation of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism.
Jaishankar also highlighted growing people-to-people ties, noting the popularity of yoga and Ayurveda in Jamaica and the contribution of the Indian diaspora to the country’s development.
He announced a contribution of two million Jamaican dollars towards celebrations marking 181 years of the arrival of Indians in Jamaica on India Heritage Day.
According to the website of the High Commission of India in Kingston, Jamaica has an Indian diaspora of around 70,000 people whose forefathers came mostly from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar as indentured labour between 1845 and 1917. Some also came from South India.
The diaspora constitutes around 3 per cent of Jamaica's population and continues to nurture an abiding interest in Indian culture, music, dance and history, serving as a cultural bridge between the two countries. May 10 is observed as India Heritage Day in Jamaica.
Later in the day, Jaishankar interacted with Jamaica’s industry and business leaders, underlining the need to deepen economic engagement as countries diversify partnerships globally.
“Emphasised that as we all diversify and seek reliable partners, the imperative to deepen India-Jamaica business ties is that much stronger,” he said in a social media post, noting that the potential for bilateral and regional economic cooperation should be "explored more vigorously".
He also appreciated Industry Minister Aubyn Hill for convening the interaction with business leaders.
Jaishankar arrived in Kingston on Saturday, marking the first leg of his nine-day tour of Jamaica, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago, aimed at further strengthening India's strategic and cultural ties with the Caribbean nations.
