At least 20 people have been killed by a wild elephant in nine days in the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand, officials have said, adding that the animal is yet to be captured.

The deaths occurred between 1 and 9 January in the Chaibasa and Kolhan forest areas of West Singhbhum district, which are part of one of the largest Sal forests in Asia.

Human-elephant conflict has been reported in the region for years, with officials and researchers, external linking it to shrinking forest cover, habitat fragmentation and increased human activity near elephant corridors.

A massive search operation involving more than 100 forest personnel is under way to locate the elephant, officials say.

"This is an unprecedented situation. It's the first time such a pattern of fatalities has been linked to a single male elephant in the region," said divisional forest officer Kuldeep Meena, adding that the entire area had been put on high alert to prevent further loss of life and property.

Their immediate priority, he said, was to trace, capture and safely return the animal into the wild.

District magistrate Chandan Kumar told the BBC that a forest worker is among the 20 people who have died. Authorites have announced monetary compensation for their families.

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The attacks began earlier this month, with the animal targeting rural settlements and, in several cases, killing entire families inside their homes. The latest incident occurred on January 12, when two more people were killed before the elephant moved across the border into neighbouring Odisha.

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Due to the continuous snowfall for two days in the Ovacık district of Tunceli, the snow depth in the district center has reached up to 1.5 meters in some places, and many streets and avenues have been closed to traffic. As the doors of houses, vehicles, and businesses were blocked by snow, citizens tried to clear the roads with shovels; municipal teams are also continuing their snow removal efforts.

Due to the continuous snowfall for 2 days in the Ovacık district of Tunceli, the snow depth in the district center reached up to 1.5 meters in some places. Houses, vehicles, and roads were covered in snow.

Media reports mentioned on Wednesday that the total number of victims resulting from the landslide that occurred in the village of Borutsi in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo reached 28 people upon the completion of rescue operations.

The local newspaper "Actualité" stated, "In total, 28 bodies were recovered from under the rubble upon the completion of search operations that began last Tuesday until this morning; the number reached 19 people, in addition to finding nine other bodies."

According to local authorities, in addition to human losses, the landslide caused significant material damage, including the destruction of more than 17 homes.

It was previously announced that 11 people were still under the rubble, and five others were seriously injured.

It is worth mentioning that on Tuesday night, the landslide destroyed a large part of the homes in Borutsi, burying dozens of residents under the rubble.