Two persons were trampled to death by elephants in separate incidents in Jhargram district today, forest officials said.
Purnima Mahato (50) was trampled to death by an elephant when she was gathering 'Mahua' flowers at Gherageria village surrounded by forests this morning. Tribals prepare a kind of liquor out of 'Mahua' flowers which also attract pachyderms, they said.
Another elephant trampled to death a carpenter Nimai Mahato (49) when he was riding a cycle on a road at nearby Bardanga village.
Both the animals strayed away from a herd of about 40 elephants and have been attacking people and damaging crops in the area for the past few days. Efforts are on to drive them back to the jungle, they said.
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