Three more killed by wild elephants in MP's Shahdol; toll in district rises to five in two days

Three more persons were trampled to death by wild elephants in Madhya Pradeshs Shahdol on Wednesday, taking the toll in such incidents in the district to five in two days, officials said.On Tuesday morning, a couple, identified as Motilal Basor 60 and his wife Muliya Bai 55, was trampled to death under Amjhor forest range by a herd of wild elephants, which entered the state from Keswahi in neighbouring Chhattisgarh on Sunday night.

Three more persons were trampled to death by wild elephants in Madhya Pradesh's Shahdol on Wednesday, taking the toll in such incidents in the district to five in two days, officials said.

On Tuesday morning, a couple, identified as Motilal Basor (60) and his wife Muliya Bai (55), was trampled to death under Amjhor forest range by a herd of wild elephants, which entered the state from Keswahi in neighbouring Chhattisgarh on Sunday night. Talking to PTI, district collector Vandana Vaidya said three more people - a couple and a woman - residents of Bansa village, were trampled to death on Wednesday when they ventured into the forest of Jaisingh Nagar for collecting mahua flowers.

''The victims had entered the forest despite being alerted by the forest department and administration personnel about the movement of wild elephants there,'' she said. The deceased were identified as Lallu Singh (50), his wife Lalita Singh (48) and his sister-in-law Baby Singh Kanwar (38), she said, adding that financial assistance was being provided to the family of the victims. Vaidya said that the administrative officers have reached the spot and are tracking the herd of elephants.

The herd was last spotted some two kms from Jhiriya Tola village on Wednesday, following which the local villagers were alerted, the district collector added.

The villagers in the area have been asked not to venture into the forest for the mahua collection, she said.

A forest official had earlier said that the herd comprised two male and female elephants each and three calves.

A patrolling team is keeping a watch on the movement of the herd and people in the area have been alerted, the official said.