Elephant strikes again, kills woman, injures granddaughter

Raipur: Days after an elephant pounced and trampled a farmer to death in Chhattisgarh's Jashpur district, only to strike again the day after at his burial event, jumbo terror returned to haunt the same tribal-dominated area. In the latest, an elderly woman was killed and her little granddaughter critically injured in an elephant attack in Jashpur on Wednesday evening. According to local reports, the elderly and her minor granddaughter stepped out to have a look as the tusker strayed into the premises of their house when it charged at them. It is learned that the killer elephant was a loner, separated from its herd, and was roaming at Kenadand village of Kansabel forest range.The deceased was identified as 57-year-old Derothia Bai, who was with her five-year-old granddaughter. They heard an elephant trumpeting in the backyard of their house, and, as they came out to check, the animal charged at them. Villagers said the elephant crushed the elephant to death at the scene, while leaving the minor severely injured. The child, who sustained a fracture in one leg, was rushed to Pathalgaon hospital before being referred to another facility for specialised treatment.Locals and officials said the elephant had got separated from a herd of roughly 27 tuskers and had been wandering close to habitations for the past two days. Forest department teams and police reached the spot soon after the incident. The department provided an immediate relief compensatory cheque of Rs 25,000 to the bereaved family, saying further assistance under government rules would be processed quickly."We have deployed forest guards in the village while patrolling has been stepped up in nearby habitations," Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Shashi Kumar told TOI, adding, "A lone elephant separated from its herd often turns aggressive. We are monitoring elephant movement continuously and are trying to drive the animal back to the forest to prevent further incidents." Officials urged villagers to keep a safe distance from elephants, avoid gathering near sighted animals and immediately inform the forest range office or local ‘Hathi Mitra' teams if they spot any movement.Elephant herd stops traffic on Gharghoda-Raigarh roadMeanwhile, in the neighbouring district of Raigarh, a herd of 25 elephants, including mothers, bulls and five calves, entered the main Gharghoda-Raigarh road on the evening of Nov 12, bringing traffic to a standstill before returning to the forest, forest officials said.The herd emerged from the Samaruma forest and lingered on the carriageway for a long time. Trucks, dumpers and two-wheelers were halted in long queues on both sides as residents and forest staff gathered to watch and record the spectacle on their phones.Forest teams and local villagers reached the scene after receiving information about the herd, stopping vehicular movement to ensure a safe passage for the straying jumbos and avoid conflict, officials said. A similar movement by the same herd was reported on the road on the evening of Nov 11 as well."About 25 elephants came onto the road in the evening and our teams kept a close watch," Tamnar Range Ranger Vijendra Kumar told reporters, adding, "We stopped traffic from both sides so the herd could cross safely. This is a border area of Tamnar range and they often cross the road from here."The elephant count in Raigarh forest division has risen to 39, with the straying herd of 25 comprising 14 females and five calves.