Woman seriously injured in bear attack in Uttarakhand's Chamoli

Gopeshwar, Nov 20 (PTI) A woman in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district was seriously injured in a bear attack while collecting grass in a forest, officials said on Thursday.

Officials said Rameshwari Devi (50), a resident of Paw village in the district's Pokhari tehsil, was airlifted to AIIMS Rishikesh for better treatment due to her severe injuries.

Devi had gone to the forest at 8 am on Wednesday to collect grass for animals, but when she did not return by noon, her family began searching for her. As she was still missing, they informed the police and the forest department.

A joint search operation was launched involving Devi's family, villagers, and police and forest teams, but she could not be located.

On Thursday morning, a search was initiated on the opposite side of the forest, and during this operation, they heard Devi's cries, which led them to her.

Officials said she was found seriously injured near an oak tree on a steep 70-80 meter slope, about 2.5 kilometres from the Bamnath-Pokhari motor road. She had suffered significant injuries to her head and face in the bear attack.

Rescue teams transported Devi on a stretcher to the Community Health Centre in Pokhari for initial treatment. She was then airlifted to AIIMS Rishikesh for further medical care.

Dr Abhishek Tripathi, District Magistrate in-charge of Chamoli, directed forest department officials to activate teams to prevent further bear attacks in the area.

He also instructed for regular patrols during the night and morning hours and emphasised providing necessary safety equipment to ensure the safety of residents. PTI DPT HIG