Wild Elephant Attack Claims Four Lives in Chhattisgarh Village

A wild elephant killed four people, including three from the same family, in Chhattisgarh's Jashpur district. This incident adds to a series of elephant attacks, totaling nine deaths in the last month. Authorities are monitoring the situation and plan to relocate the tusker responsible.

Four individuals, including three from a single family, were tragically killed in an early-morning attack by a wild elephant in Jashpur district, Chhattisgarh, officials reported.

This recent incident brings the total number of fatalities from elephant attacks in the district to nine within a month.

The attack occurred at around 1 am in the Gamhriya area of Bagicha Nagar Panchayat while the victims were asleep, according to a forest official. The deceased were identified as Ramkeshwar Soni (35), his daughter Ravita (9), his brother Ajay (25), and their neighbor Ashwin Kujur (28).

Preliminary information suggests the elephant damaged a wall of Soni's house and trampled the trio to death. Kujur, who arrived upon hearing their screams, was also killed by the animal.

Forest and police personnel arrived promptly and sent the bodies for post-mortem. Immediate relief of Rs 25,000 was provided to the kin, with an additional Rs 5.75 lakh to follow post-formalities.

The forest department, led by Divisional Forest Officer Jitendra Upadhyay, is planning to relocate the elephant, which has damaged several homes recently. The conflict between humans and elephants in northern and now central Chhattisgarh has been escalating over the past decade, with 310 deaths reported in the last five years.

(With inputs from agencies.)