Elephants attack Bangladesh village, five killed

CHITTAGONG, Bangladesh, Oct 19 (Reuters) A herd of wild elephants rampaged through a village in southern Bangladesh on today, killing five members of a family, police and witnesses said.

Two children were among those trampled to death by the herd of about 10 elephants in Jangalgunagari village, 350 km southeast of the capital Dhaka, a witness said.

The elephants also destroyed five bamboo huts and damaged crops before they were chased away by police firing blank shots.

Villagers also torched bushes and lit firecrackers to scare the animals away.

At least 15 people are killed by elephants in Bangladesh on average every year as forests shrink due to encroachment by growing population, officials say.

Bangladesh, one of the world's most densely populated nations, has a forest cover of 17.5 percent.

REUTERS PDM SND1232