A rabid stray dog attacked and bit nearly 130 people within seven hours in an area in Kalyan West, necessitating hospitalisation for 25 victims and advanced medical care for a severely injured 11-year-old girl, civic health officials said on Monday.

The ordeal began around 2 pm on Sunday when the aggressive canine began lunging at passersby, two-wheelers, and auto-rickshaw passengers in the Sandeep Hotel area. Eyewitnesses and a Kalyan Dombivali Municipal Corporation (KDMC) health official said the dog pounced on people walking along roads and alleys from behind. The panic forced residents across Birla College Road, Old RTO Office, and Bhoirwadi to stay indoors, keeping children away from playgrounds despite it being a Sunday.