Two-year-old child dies after dog attack

The incident occurred around 18:30 near a detached house on Zübeyir Street in the Başak neighborhood of the central Karatay district. According to the information obtained, 2-year-old R.E.S., a Syrian national, had come to visit relatives for iftar with her family.

While the children were playing on the street before the iftar hour, R.E.S. wandered away from the other children. A short while later, about 10 dogs attacked the child. The child was found motionless and covered in blood in a vacant lot by local citizens, and health and police teams were dispatched to the scene upon notification. While health teams determined that the child had lost their life, the family was informed of the situation. The child's lifeless body was taken to the Konya Forensic Medicine Institute for an autopsy.

Ramazan Dayan, the headman (muhtar) of the Başak neighborhood where the incident took place, said, "I was very saddened when I learned about the incident. May God give patience to her family. We are also anxious, we are very sad. Dogs are already a problem in our country, it is not just about our neighborhood. Municipalities collect them regularly, but our problem is that dogs are constantly coming from the outskirts. I am still in shock from the incident, I am still shaking. The state of that child affected me deeply."

The investigation into the incident is ongoing.

STATEMENT FROM THE KONYA GOVERNOR'S OFFICE

The Konya Governor's Office has issued a statement regarding the death of the 2-year-old child caused by stray dogs.

In the statement made on the official X account of the Konya Governor's Office, it was stated, "Our child named R.E.S., who was seriously injured after being attacked by stray dogs in the Başak neighborhood of our Karatay district on 07.03.2025 at around 17:40, lost their life despite all interventions at the hospital where they were taken. This painful incident, which occurred during a period when an intense struggle is being waged to collect stray dogs into animal shelters in our province, has deeply saddened us all. We wish God's mercy upon our child named R.E.S. and patience to her family and relatives. A multi-faceted investigation into the incident is continuing."

News Source: İHA