A stray cow was seen charging at a passing resident and hurling her into the air.

CCTV footage shows the bovine goring the helpless woman who was screaming in fear in Uttar Pradesh, India, on July 6.

The animal used its horn to fling her upwards and sent her crashing onto her back.

Residents rushed to help her and scared the cattle away, but it struck her again before leaving.

Onlookers said she was walking home after dinner when she passed by the cow, which suddenly attacked her.

She was taken to a hospital for treatment after sustaining a fractured hand and internal injuries in her chest area.

India has hundreds of thousands of cows roaming its streets.

It is partly due to devout locals who follow Hindu customs, with cows regarded as sacred animals that cannot be eaten or slaughtered once they have stopped producing milk. The majority of states ban the sale or slaughter of cows.

Instead of dealing with the economic burden of keeping their spent cattle, many farmers let the beasts roam the streets - leading to chaos when the animals become agitated and turn their fury on humans.