Assam: Jumbo kills woman, son in Goalpara dist

GUWAHATI: A woman and her son were trampled to death by a wild elephant in Assam’s Dudhnoi in the early hours on Monday.
The incident took place at Karipara Bogoti village in Dudhnoi in Goalpara district.
The victims were identified as Manjila Khatun, a brick kiln worker, and her son.
Goalpara divisional forest officer (DFO) Jitendra Kumar told TOI, “Visibility is poor because of fog, especially in the morning and at night. So it is difficult to spot animals. Both mother and son died on the spot after being attacked by the jumbo.”
Asked about the mitigation measures adopted by the department to minimise human-elephant conflict in Goalpara district, the forest official said forest employees are already engaged in organising an awareness drive.
He said around 25% of forest land in Goalpara district had been encroached upon by humans, which is around 70-80 sq km.
“We have already started eviction drives in the district and it is ongoing,” added the DFO.