Girl, 4, dies in India after golden retriever falls on her from fifth floor of building

Dog owner kept many canines on terrace allegedly without permission

The girl was walking with her mother when the dog fell on her in Mumbra, Maharashtra (Screengrab/Sirajnoorani)

A four-year-old girl died in India after a dog fell on her from the fifth floor of a building, police said.

The incident, captured on CCTV, occurred in Mumbra, 30 km from Mumbai, in the western state of Maharashtra state at around 4.30pm on Tuesday.

The girl was walking with her mother in a busy street lined with vendors when a golden retriever fell down on her.

The girl, walking between two women, was immediately picked up. The dog remained still on the ground for a few seconds before gathering the strength to stand up.

The child was taken to a local private hospital and later transferred to the Chhatrapati Shivaji Hospital where she was pronounced dead.

The dog suffered multiple fractures and was sent to a rescue shelter for treatment.

It was unclear how the dog fell. Police said they were investigating the incident.

The girl’s uncle, Asif Rangrez, said the resident of the apartment the dog fell from kept multiple canines on the terrace allegedly without permission, the Economic Times reported.

"The incident occurred just because of the dog owner’s negligence. Police should take suitable action,” he said.

Mr Rangrez said the girl was a single child to her parents who had struggled to conceive for about eight years.

Kshama Shirodkar, a veterinarian with the Thane Municipal Corporation, said they would investigate the allegations against the dog owner and verify whether there were incidents of animal cruelty.

Police were separately investigating whether the dog owner violated any rules and trying to establish the circumstances that led to the dog’s fall.

The child’s funeral was performed on Wednesday.