At least six people were trampled to death after a herd of wild elephants stormed Gondwar village in the Churchu block of Jharkhand’s Hazaribagh district late Thursday night, officials said on Friday.
The incident triggered panic and grief in the area.
Four of the deceased belonged to a single family. The victims have been identified as Suraj Bhuiyan (55), his daughter-in-law Suman Devi (25), her two young children, Mangara Bhuiyan (58), and Dhaneshwar Ram (around 55).
According to villagers, a herd of five elephants entered the village between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m. while most residents were asleep. The elephants damaged several mud houses, breaking walls and doors, and created chaos as people rushed out in fear to save their lives.
Suraj Bhuiyan and his family were asleep in the same house and reportedly had no time to escape. During the rampage, six villagers were trampled to death.
Residents attempted to drive the elephants away by beating drums, banging utensils, and flashing torches, but the herd continued to wreak havoc before eventually retreating into the forest after considerable effort.
Teams from the local administration, police, and forest department reached the village on Friday morning after receiving information about the incident. The bodies have been sent for post-mortem examination.
Forest department officials said that elephant movements in the area are being closely monitored and that the process of providing immediate relief and compensation to the affected families has begun. Villagers have been advised to remain vigilant and avoid moving alone at night.
Human-elephant conflict has been on the rise in Jharkhand. More than 20 people have lost their lives in elephant attacks across the state in the past 45 days. There is a growing concern among the public over wildlife movement into human settlements.
