A woman and her two minor daughters were left severely injured after a stray ox suddenly turned aggressive and tried to gore them in Sector 15A in Faridabad on Friday. The attack occurred around 6.50pm as the family was returning home from the market.
Locals say the ox, standing with three other cattle nearby, charged at them without warning. The incident was captured on CCTV cameras. The footage shows the animal first knocked down the younger child and attempted to trample her under its hooves. As the child's mother rushed to save her, the ox turned towards her and then, the elder child, chasing them and throwing them to the ground before repeatedly attempting to gore them.
During the attack, both children were trampled upon multiple times and injured by the ox's horns. The ordeal did not end there. Locals said even as the injured family tried to flee, the ox chased them again and launched another attack. Bystanders who rushed to help were also targeted, with the animal charging at rescuers and attempting to gore them. It was only after they used sticks and rods to drive the ox away that the victims were rescued.
All three were rushed to a nearby private hospital. The younger child sustained a deep head injury which required stitches while the woman and the elder child also suffered multiple injuries. They remain under treatment.
Stray Cattle Menace
The incident has triggered anger among residents of the sector, who said the stray cattle menace has become a daily threat to them. “What happened on Friday could have turned fatal if it went on any longer. Authorities have ignored this issue for too long,” said a resident. Another local, Pawan Sharma, described the situation as “frightening”, adding that people live in constant fear due to animals roaming freely in residential lanes.
A senior municipal corporation officer said teams have been deployed across the city to capture stray animals and that action in the drive is ongoing. However, residents argue that such measures have failed to address the ground reality as incidents of stray cattle inconveniencing human beings have not declined.
