Chaibasa/Garhwa, Mar 31: At least three persons were killed in separate incidents of elephant attacks across Jharkhand’s West Singhbhum and Garhwa districts within a span of 24 hours, officials said on Tuesday.
In one incident, a 55-year-old woman, Chandu Gope, was trampled to death in Barkundiya village of West Singhbhum on Monday night. She and another villager were sleeping when an elephant attacked their dwelling.
“They were sleeping when the elephant attacked them,” an official said. While Lakhan Kudada (60) managed to escape, the elephant reportedly caught the woman with its trunk and killed her. An elderly man was also injured in the incident.
In a separate case in the Ranka area of Garhwa district, Munna Singh (32) was killed after being attacked by a herd of elephants while strolling near a pond on Monday morning, officials said.
Another fatal attack was reported from the Dhurki police station area of Garhwa, where Dayeeb Korwa (62) was killed while collecting mahua seeds in a forest.
“Three persons were trampled to death by wild elephants in 24 hours,” officials said, underlining the severity of the situation.
The back-to-back incidents, occurring in rural and forest-adjacent areas, have once again highlighted the growing human-elephant conflict in the region. Officials noted that increasing movement of elephants near human settlements poses a significant threat to lives and livelihoods.
Authorities have urged residents in vulnerable areas to remain alert, even as concerns grow over the need for better monitoring systems and preventive measures to mitigate such conflicts.
