Agra woman dies while escaping from monkeys

Agra, Jan 20 (IANS) A young housewife died when she fell off the terrace of a three-storey building here after being attacked by monkeys but a baby she was holding had a miraculous escape.

The incident took place Monday evening in New Agra locality when the woman was with her two-month-old child. The woman succumbed to her injuries on way to the hospital, officials said Tuesday.

The incident happened 10 days after a student fell from a terrace and died after a monkeyh attack.

Not just Agra residents, foreign tourists have also suffered due to the monkeys in areas close to the Taj Mahal.

Municipal Commissioner Anand Vardhan told IANS: 'We will soon launch a campaign against stray animals in the city.'

The animal husbandry department estimates there could be more than 25,000 monkeys in Agra. An NGO claims the number is much more.

The monkeys are reportedly becoming violent because they are not getting enough food in Agra, say some animal activists.