A FOUR-YEAR OLD boy has been found dead in Russia after being mauled to death by a pack of stray dogs.
The toddler, who was unnamed, was discovered by neighbours in the village of Safarovo, Bashkortostan after being attacked not far from his house on Saturday.
Reports say the boy was playing on his bike in the street when the five canines attacked him.
A woman, living next door to the family, rushed to the scene after hearing loud aggressive growling and a child’s terrified cries which quickly died down.
She told local media that she ran to the street and saw a pack of dogs tearing something apart.
By the time she had scared them away, she was left horrified as she saw the child.
“He was lying on the ground with his scalp and more than half of his face ripped off,” she said.
“His left ear, nose, both cheeks were torn away. I could see the skull. He was dead.”
The woman called emergency services and covered the victim with a sheet.
She added: “The dogs were prowling alongside. I covered the boy with a sheet to prevent them from mutilating him further.”
The boy’s mum only learned about his death 20 minutes after he went to play outside.
She said: “I was doing laundry when he asked permission to go to the street and ride his bicycle.
“Twenty minutes later a next-door woman ran up and told he had been killed by dogs.”
Examinations showed that the boy died from fatal injuries he had received due to the savage attack.
The horrific incident follows a number of complaints about packs of aggressive dogs wandering in the area from villagers.
But, despite the numerous reports, the local authorities failed to ensure security.
The Russian Investigative Committee has now launched a criminal case for “negligence that resulted in the death of a minor.”
The officials who failed to ensure security in the area could be charged, say local media.
“Those responsible for the incident will be brought to justice,” a spokesperson for the village’s administration said.
The investigation is ongoing.
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