One killed, two injured in elephant attacks in Jharkhand

Khunti/Hazaribag, Sep 3 (PTI) A man was killed and two others were injured in three separate incidents of elephant attacks in Jharkhand's Khunti and Hazaribag districts, officials said on Wednesday.

The deceased was identified as Krishna Singh (32). He, along with other villagers, was trying to drive away the elephants from a farm field at Bongtel village under Rania police station area on Tuesday night, they said.

"During the course of driving the animals away, Singh came under attack of the elephants, and was trampled to death around midnight on Tuesday," said Khunti divisional forest officer (DFO) Dileep Kumar Yadav.

According to Bongtel villagers, the movement of elephants in the village has increased over the past 15 days, and they are living in fear.

The DFO said a youth was injured after being attacked by an elephant at Deranag village in Khunti district on Tuesday evening.

"The youth, identified as Petrus Guriya, was returning from a market. An elephant suddenly came out of the bushes and attacked him. The injured youth was admitted to a hospital for treatment," Yadav said.

A 40-year-old woman was injured when a herd of elephants attacked her mud house in Dharampur area of Hazaribag district on Wednesday morning, officials said.

Divisional Forest Officer (East Division) Ujjwal Anand said both the forest department team and the police reached the spot and rescued the woman and admitted her to the Sheikh Bhikhari Medical College and Hospital at Hazaribag, where she is undergoing treatment.

The official said the condition of the victim is serious, and her treatment cost will be borne by the department. PTI SAN COR BS RG