Chhattigarh: Man killed in elephant attack

From June to October this year, the state reported deaths of 15 elephants in separate districts due to various reasons, including electrocution. Most of these deaths had taken place in northern Chhattisgarh..

A 50-year-old man has been trampled to death by a wild elephant in Chhattisgarhs Surajpur district, a forest official said on Wednesday. The incident took place on Tuesday in Khadra forest area under Pratatppur forest range where the victim, Surat Lal Yadav, had taken his cattle for grazing, Surajpur's Divisional Forest Officer J R Bhagat said.

Surajpur, a neighbouring district of Korba, is located about 350 km from the state capital Raipur. Yadav, hailing from nearby Durti village, apparently came face-to-face with an elephant and when he tried to run away, the jumbo lifted him with its trunk and slammed him on the ground, he said.

The victim died on the spot, he said, adding that police and forest officials later retrieved the body from the forest area. The victim's family was given an immediate aid of Rs 25,000, and the remaining Rs 5.75 lakh will be given after completion of formalities, the official said.

Three elephants had been roaming in Pratappur forests and locals were alerted, he said. Several incidents of human-elephant conflict have been reported in the past from the thick forested northern Chhattisgarh, consisting of Surguja, Surajpur, Korba, Raigarh, Jashpur, Balrampur and Koriya districts.

The region has witnessed several killings of villagers and widespread damage to houses and crops by rogue elephants. From June to October this year, the state reported deaths of 15 elephants in separate districts due to various reasons, including electrocution.

Most of these deaths had taken place in northern Chhattisgarh.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)