West Bengal: Three killed, 2 others injured in elephant attack

It was raining and villagers who were standing and chatting didn’t spot the animal after which the elephant attacked them

Three persons, including a woman, were killed while two others got injured after an elephant attacked them at Jhargram in West Bengal on Wednesday evening.

The incident took place around 7:30 pm in the fringe areas of the Jhargram municipality. (File image)

The deceased were identified as Bhusan Mahato (25), Rameshwar Baskey (65) and Debi Mondol (45).

The injured victims were rushed to the state-run Jhargram hospital where they succumbed to their injuries.

Police said the incident took place around 7:30 pm in the fringe areas of the Jhargram municipality.

“It was raining and villagers who were standing and chatting didn’t spot the animal. The elephant attacked them and killed three persons,” a police official said.

The forest department was informed and the elephant was sent back to the forest with the help of villagers.

West Bengal accounts for the second highest number of man-elephant conflict incidents in the country after Odisha.

Between 2015-16 and 2019-20, at least 430 people have been killed by elephants in West Bengal.

With conservation efforts, the elephant population in the state has shot up from around 175 in 1989 to around 700 at present.