© GettyCharging elephant
A 65-year-old man was trampled to death by a tusker in Korba. This is the fourth death due to elephant attack in the district in last week.
The deceased has been identified as Budhram Singh Gond.
Officials said that two tuskers ventured into human habitat in Ghutru para of Katghora forest range around 1.30am on Monday.
While everyone was sleeping, an elephant entered into the hut and picked Gond via trunk, rolled him, threw him on the ground and crushed him to death.His family members rushed out of the house in horror and were saved. After elephant left, they returned home only to find Gond lying unconscious on the floor.
The family was given a compensation of Rs25000 as immediate relief and would be paid remaining Rs5.7 lakh, officials said.
The villagers alleged that the forest department is not executing its duties properly, and that they have to bear its consequences.
A group of locals staged demonstration on Monday, demanding a permanent solution from the man-elephant conflict.
Moreover, a herd of 45 elephants are frequenting in Pasan forest range and their movement is unpredictable as few of the tuskers separated from herd and walk into different zones. Forest officials said that keeping a track on each of them isn't possible and the villagers have been kept on alert mode and advised to remain indoors as much as possible.
The loner elephants, officials said, get more aggressive and out of control when they confront humans.
In the past one week, while three people have died in elephant attacks in Pasaan area, one person lost his life in Lemru, he added.The state has also reported 15 elephants deaths due to various reasons, including electrocution, between June and October this year, with most of the deaths taking place in northern Chhattisgarh.
Comment: A day earlier on December 13 another
tusker killed a man and his son in the state of Tamil Nadu:
A wild elephant trampled a 49-year-old man and his 29-year-old son to death at Gudalur in the Nilgiris district on Sunday night.
The deceased were identified as A Prasanth and his father Anandraj of Kolapalli near Cherambadi in Gudalur. Anandraj was former panchayat union councillor in Kolapalli.
According to forest officials, Prasanth was on the way to his home around 6pm with his friends when they stumbled upon the elephant. Since it was dark, they noticed the animal only after getting very close to it. They started running helter-skelter, but Prashanth was attacked by the elephant. His friend informed Anandraj and forest officials. While villagers were scared to go to the spot fearing the elephant, Anandraj rushed to the place with a friend. As feared, the elephant was at the spot and fatally attacked Anandraj.
Forest and police officers visited the spot and retrieved the bodies.
This is the fourth elephant attack in Gudalur this month. The last one was reported on Friday, when a 60-year-old man was killed near Cherankod.
The elephant attacks have sparked fury among the residents, who urged the forest department to take steps to prevent elephant intrusion into tea gardens and residential areas. The traders in Pandalur have decided to down shutters for a day to press the demand.
Meanwhile, in Coimbatore district, a man survived an elephant attack in Sirumugai range with fractured bones.
Another man suffered severe injuries in a bear attack in Valparai. Forest officials said that Raju, 75, a native of Trichy residing at Seniyappa estate in Valparai, had stepped out of the house around 6am on Sunday when the bear attacked. Though he managed to escape, Raju suffered severe injuries. He is undergoing treatment at the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital.
Comment: A day earlier on December 13 another tusker killed a man and his son in the state of Tamil Nadu: