Sitapur, May 13 (PTI): A pack of dogs mauled a 12-year-old girl to death in a village in Uttar Pradesh's Sitapur, taking the toll in fatal attacks by feral hounds in the district to 13 in the last six months, police said on Sunday.

The incident occurred in Maheshpur village under the Khairabad police station. This was the seventh such death this month, they said. District administration officials said that Khairabad area of the district was the "worst affected".

"A 12-year-old girl identified as Reena died today after being attacked by a pack of dogs," Superintendent of Police Anand Kulkarni said. The SP said the administration was tackling the menace and the number of dogs in packs was decreasing.

"Earlier they used to attack in pack of six to eight dogs. Now they are reduced to two or four," he said.

Meanwhile, District Magistrate Sheetal Verma, while elaborating upon the cases of dog attacks, said, "Of the 13 deaths due to dog attacks since November 2017, as many as 10 took place in Khairabad police station area."

"Three other cases which took place in the district, were reported from Imlia Sultanpur, Kotwali Sitapur and Taalgaon police station areas," Verma said.