A five-year-old boy has died in Kaisarganj — a tehsil in Uttar Pradesh’s Bahraich district that has seen a series of wolf attacks, after injuries sustained in an attack by the animal, officials said on Saturday.

Star, son of Roshan Kumar, was attacked on Friday evening by two wolves while he was playing outside his house.

According to villagers, one of the wolves seized the child and dragged him away, prompting neighbours to raise an alarm and chase the animals with sticks and rods.

They found the boy, severely injured and unconscious, in a field. He was first taken to the Kaisarganj community health centre and then referred to the district hospital. As his condition worsened, he was being shifted to a medical college in Lucknow but died on the way, officials said.

Confirming the incident, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Ram Singh Yadav told PTI that the attack took place between 5 PM and 6PM near the sugarcane fields of Mallahan Purwa village, close to the Ghaghara river.

“The child succumbed to his injuries while being taken to Lucknow for treatment. Post-mortem formalities are being completed, after which the financial assistance sanctioned by the government will be provided to the family,” the DFO said, adding that the pug marks of a wolf were found at the spot where the child was found.

A search operation has been launched in the area using specialised teams and drones, and three cage traps have been installed near the village, Yadav said.

He said that nine people, including seven children, have been killed and 32 injured in wolf attacks in Kaisarganj and Mahsi tehsils since September 9.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visited the area on September 27 and ordered that wolves attacking humans must be safely rescued, and if capture was not possible, they should be shot.

Since September 28, the forest department shooters have shot four wolves.