Five people have died in a series of wild elephant attacks across Jharkhand, India within a 24-hour period.
The first fatal incident occurred at about 4pm on 16 Dec in the Ramgarh district, where residents gathered along a roadside to watch a herd of elephants that had stopped nearby.
According to The New Indian Express, some onlookers moved dangerously close to take photographs and selfies, prompting one of the elephants to charge.
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Amit Rajwar, 33, was attacked during the encounter and was repeatedly struck with the elephant’s trunk, killing him on the spot, eyewitnesses said.
The incident sparked panic in the area, with several drivers abandoning their vehicles along the road, leading to traffic disruption.
Source: Nation Press
Later that night, the herd moved into nearby residential areas, letting out loud trumpet calls that sent villagers fleeing their homes.
Amid the chaos, two women — Parvati Devi, 40, and Savitri Devi, 45 — were trampled to death.
Ms Lakshmi, the daughter-in-law of Ms Parvati, said the family ran towards the road after hearing the elephants approaching.
“My mother-in-law was left behind, and the elephants trampled her to death,” she said.
Another victim, 35-year-old Amul Mahto, was killed when the elephants attacked him while he was riding a motorcycle in the same area.
According to The Hindu, the death toll later rose to five after another victim, identified as Sanicharwa Munda, died while receiving treatment.
Ramgarh divisional forest officer Nitish Kumar said some victims from the wider incidents have yet to be formally identified.
At least two others were injured in the attacks and remain in hospital.
The daughter of one injured couple said her family attempted to escape through the back of their house after the elephants entered the village.
She added that her parents stood near the gate to stop the animals from entering, but the elephants knocked down the mud house along with the gate, injuring them.
Police have since been deployed to the affected areas to manage the situation.
Officials said a herd of about 42 elephants was moving through forested areas across Ramgarh and surrounding districts, and had split into three separate groups.
Also read: Motorcyclist crashes into elephant on M’sia road, animal smashes vehicle in rage
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