Wild elephants trample youth to death, injure two others

Wild elephants trampled a youth to death and injured two others in Dumarhar village under the Babhani police station area of Sonbhadra district, police said. According

Wild elephants trampled a youth to death and injured two others in Dumarhar village under the Babhani police station area of Sonbhadra district, police said. According to locals, the herd had some 20 elephants.

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According to the police, locals informed them that a group of elephants surrounded the house of one Rai Singh, in Rampakurar village, late on Sunday night. A woman and a young girl were inside the house. Locals tried to drive away the elephants but failed. A forest department team reached the village in the night, and with the support of locals, succeeded in driving away the elephants from Rampakuwar towards the forest around midnight.

Police quoting locals said that on way to the forest, the herd reached Dumarhar village around 1am. Ill-fated Rajendra Gond, 25, was trampled to death, when he came out of his house to attend the call of nature.

Police said that the elephants also chased two local youths. In attempt to get out of the path of the marauding elephants, one of the youths fell into a well, while the other one stumbled upon a stone and fell. Both of them suffered injuries. They were rushed to the hospital in the morning.

On receiving information, police led by Rajendra Yadav from Babhani Police station area reached the village. Angry locals stopped the police from carrying the body of Gond for a post-mortem examination. They demanded compensation and proper arrangements in the village to drive away elephants.

Yadav assured them of conveying their demand to the senior authorities. Then the locals allowed them to take the body.

Locals said that wild elephants have been active in the area for the past fortnight and have been a nuisance. The elephants have destroyed the crops of dozens of people in bordering areas.