Elephant kills 22 people in 12 days in Jharkhand, India (UPDATE)

The Telegraph (India)
Wed, 07 Jan 2026 12:06 UTC

At least six people, including four members of a family, were trampled to death in two separate attacks by a wild elephant in Jharkhand's West Singhbhum district, a senior forest official said on Wednesday.

The tusker entered areas under the Noamundi and Hatgamariah police stations late on Tuesday and attacked residents, Chaibasa Divisional Forest Officer Aditya Narayan told PTI.

"The elephant, which had attacked several people in the last few days, entered the Noamundi and Hatgamariah police station areas late on Tuesday and killed six people," Narayan said.

Four others were injured in the attacks and are undergoing treatment, another forest official said, adding that forest teams were monitoring the animal's movement and coordinating with local authorities.

The latest deaths come a day after the same elephant killed seven people, including three members of a family, in nearby areas, Narayan said.

Forest officials said efforts are underway to track and drive the animal back into deeper forest zones, while local administrations have issued alerts to residents in vulnerable villages to remain indoors during night hours.

Meanwhile, several trains have been cancelled in the area due to the movement of elephants.

Comment: Update January 12

The BBC reports:

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.

Update January 13

Ddunyanews.tv reports:

[...]

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.

[...]

Also pertinent: 1,270 people killed in 18 years due to elephant attacks across the state of Jharkhand, India