Two killed in elephant attack in Chattisgarh

Korba, August 1: Two persons, including a woman, have been killed in as many incidents of elephant attack in Chhattisgarh's Jaspur district, a forest official said today.

A 45-year-old tribal woman, Sukuwari Munda, was trampled to death by a herd of wild elephants yesterday while a 62-year-old villager Shrikamal Manjhi was killed by the pachyderm on Saturday, Division Forest Officer (DFO), Jashpur division, C S Tiwari said.

The incidents took place at different places in Tapkara forests range of Jashpur forest division bordering Odisha. Munda, a native of Tiklipara village, was attacked by the elephants when she had gone to attend nature's call, he said.

Earlier, a herd of elephant damaged the house of Manjhi before killing him in his sleep at Korangamal village, the DFO said, adding that his family members somehow managed to escape from the spot. The kin of the deceased have been given an instant relief amount of Rs 25,000 each, the DFO added.

As many as six villagers have been killed in separate incidents of human-elephant conflict in the Korba district of the state in May this year.

Notably, the thick forested northern Chhattisgarh, comprising Surguja, Korba, Raigarh, Jashpur and Korea districts, are notorious for human-elephant conflict incidents.

The region has witnessed several killings of tribals and widespread damage to houses and crops by rogue elephants in past years.

PTI