A stray dog attacked a child while they were playing in the street in India.

CCTV footage shows two toddlers outside their home as a black stray dog suddenly approached the children and began mauling one of them in Telangana on August 7.

While one child managed to flee to safety upon seeing the dog, 18-month-old Harinandan was not so fortunate. He was knocked to the ground, resulting in a brutal attack on his face that left him crying out in pain.

Two adult family members, one of them the boy's mother, rushed to the scene to shoo the dog away and rescue the injured child.

Harinandan was immediately taken to a local hospital to receive medical treatment for his wounds.

The issue of stray dogs is rapidly becoming a major concern in India, which has the highest number of dog attacks and rabies-related deaths in the world.