Tragedy Strikes in Chhattisgarh: Fatal Elephant Attacks Highlight Growing Conflict

Two individuals have died and one was injured following separate elephant attacks in Balrampur, Chhattisgarh. Asmina and her husband Usman Ansari were attacked while gathering mahua fruits, while Durga Gond was trampled in Basen-Jigdi village. Officials note an increase in human-elephant conflicts in recent years.

In a tragic sequence of events, two individuals lost their lives and another sustained injuries due to elephant attacks in Balrampur district, Chhattisgarh, according to a forest official statement on Tuesday.

Ramanujganj Deputy Forest Officer Santosh Pandey reported that Asmina and her husband, Usman Ansari, were targeted by an elephant while collecting mahua fruits between Phulwar and Rampur villages. Unfortunately, Asmina succumbed to her injuries at a hospital in Ambikapur.

In a separate incident, Durga Gond, aged 45, was fatally trampled by a wild elephant in Basen-Jigdi village as he gathered mahua fruits. Immediate assistance of Rs 25,000 was provided to the victims' families, with additional compensation promised. These incidents underscore the alarming rise of human-elephant conflicts in the region over the past decade, expanding into central areas recently.

(With inputs from agencies.)