Border guards shot down mad elephant in northern Bangladesh

Dhaka, Jan 11 (UNI) Border guards today shot down a mad elephant after it killed a farmer and injured 20 others in a frontier village of northern Bangladesh, about 400 km from here.

Police said border guards of Bangladesh and India first sprayed chloroform on the wild elephant and then fired 18 rounds of bullets to ensure its death.

Earlier in the day, the large elephant from the Indian district of Kuchbihar encroached into the frontier village of Uparmara in Patgram sub-district and started attacking people and damaging houses.

Police and local people said the elephant lost his way and entered the village. In a fit of anger, the elephant trampled to death farmer Tapra Sheikh, aged 45.

Bangladesh Rifles and police cordoned the elephant, but in the afternoon it broke the cordon and ran indiscriminately throughout the village, creating panic.

Security forces fired in the air to drive away enthusiastic villagers to avoid further casualties.

During the melee, another farmer, Asgar Ali, 35, fell under the feet of the huge elephant and was critically wounded. He was rushed to the local hospital.

Some 60-70 kutcha houses were also demolished by the elephant.

Last month, four people-- three in Cox's Bazar and one in Chittagong in southeastern region of the country were killed by wild elephants, which frequently come down from the hilly terrain.

UNI XC SKB AS2012