Three women killed by elephant herd in WB’s Jaldapara National Park: Official

Officials said that the women entered the forest despite being alerted by the forest department that a herd of around 23 elephants were roaming in the area

Three women were killed while one got injured by an elephant herd inside the Jaldapara National Park in West Bengal’s Alipurduar district on Thursday.

The incident happened at Bania beat in Chilapata range. (File photo)

A senior forest official said that a group of ten women from Dakshin Mendabari village under Chilapata forest range had entered the core area of the national park to collect firewood on Thursday.

Officials said that the women entered the forest despite being alerted by the forest department that a herd of around 23 elephants were roaming in the area.

“On Wednesday, the forest department had sounded an alarm about a herd of 23 elephants roaming in the Chilapata range of Jaldapara National Park. Residents of villages located in the forest’s fringes were alerted and advised not to enter the Chilapata forest,” said Parveen Kaswan, divisional forest officer of Jaldapara wildlife division.”

“The incident happened at Bania beat in Chilapata range. Though six women managed to escape, three were killed and one was injured. The elephants trampled them when they accidentally fell in front of the herd,” the official said.

The women who managed to escape rushed to the village and informed the locals after which information was passed on to the forest department.

A large team of foresters with trained kunki elephants retrieved the bodies and rescued the injured woman from the forest. The victims were identified as Rekha Barman, Chandmoni Oraon and Sukarmoni Lohar. All were residents of Dakshin Mendabari village in the district. Injured Nima Charowa was rushed to Alipurduar district hospital for treatment.