Twenty people were injured after being attacked by a stray dog in Ghumarwin area in Himachal’s Bilaspur, an official said on Tuesday.

Municipal Council Ghumarwin President Rita Sehgal said the dog would suddenly pounce on the people passing by and bite them.

The incident occurred on Monday night when a stray dog bit several people within the span of a few hours near Gandhi Chowk in the Ghumarwin market.

The injured were sent for treatment at a local hospital and have been administered anti-rabies vaccines, Sehgal added.

However, this is not an isolated incident.

According to the civil hospital authorities, dog attack incidents have increased in the past few days.

People are coming to the hospital every day with dog bites and are being given anti-rabies vaccines, they said.

The locals have alleged that the authorities have not taken any action in this matter and this has led to some people being seriously injured in dog attacks.

They also claimed that the dog who bit 20 people has not been caught yet and demanded the dog menace be brought under control.

Taking note of the situation, Sehgal said the Animal Husbandry Department has been informed and a team has been sent to catch the dog.