Elephant kills woman, cattle in Chhattisgarh’s Korba

Korba (Chhattisgarh), Aug 8 (PTI) A wild elephant entered some villages in Chhattisgarh’s Korba district on Thursday and trampled to death a 55-year-old woman and five cattle, officials said.

The tusker was spotted roaming in the morning in Bhilaibazar, Ralia and Khodri villages located near Kusmunda coal mine of South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL), a forest official said.

The jumbo attacked Gayatri Rathore in Ralia as she stepped out of her home for a morning walk, leaving her seriously injured, he said.

The woman’s family members immediately shifted her to a hospital in Korba where she succumbed during treatment, the official said.

Later, the elephant trampled five cows and calves to death in Khodri village, he said.

After being alerted, a forest department team reached the spot and was keeping a tab on the movement of the tusker that has been separated from its herd, the official said.

The kin of the deceased woman have been provided an instant relief amount of Rs 25,000 while the remaining compensation of Rs 5.75 lakh will be given after the completion of necessary formalities, the official added.

Human-elephant conflicts in the state, particularly in the northern part, have been a major cause of concern for the last one decade. The menace has been gradually spreading its footprint in some districts of the central region in the last few years.

The districts which have been facing the menace include Surguja, Raigarh, Korba, Surajpur, Mahasamund, Dhamtari, Gariaband, Balod, Balrampur and Kanker.

According to the forest department, more than 300 persons have been killed in elephant attacks in the state in the last five years.