UP: Wild elephants trample man to death in Pilibhit

Pilibhit (UP), Nov 2 (PTI) A herd of wild elephants entered a village on the edge of a forest in Pilibhit district early Sunday and trampled a 58-year-old man to death, officials said.

According to police, the elephants attacked a thatched hut in the village under the Madhotanda police station area, and trampled Punnu, who was asleep, to death around 2 am on Sunday.

District Forest Officer (DFO) Manish Singh said, "The area falls close to the Dudhwa National Park, which is home to elephants and rhinos. The victim's family will receive Rs 5 lakh as compensation after the postmortem report is received." Villagers said while they saw the herd in the area several times, this was the first direct attack on humans.

Officials have advised the villagers to remain alert and avoid going to the forest area after dark.

Efforts are underway to to track the elephants, the DFO said. PTI COR CDN ARI