Guwahati: Two persons were trampled to death by wild elephants in separate incidents in Narayanpara village in Assam's Goalpara district, which has caused a panic among the villagers.
Forest officials have confirmed that around 11 pm on Sunday a woman, identified as Rupali Ray (55), was trampled to death. In the second incident, Ranjan Ray (45) was killed in an elephant attack early on Monday morning.
Goalpara division assistant conservator of forest (ACF) Subimal Kaunda said there is a suspicion that the elephants were triggered after a group of villagers provoked them, leading to the fatal consequence. "The village is often visited by the herd of elephants in search of food as villagers have already harvested their crops and there is not much food left in the fields where these jumbos usually forage," the ACF added.
The officer said Rupali was sitting on her front porch with her daughter and son when the animal suddenly charged at them. "While her son and daughter managed to escape, Ray was unable to make escape in time due to her existing back pain," Kaunda said.
"The second incident happened around 4 in the morning. The ruckus caused by a herd woke Ranjan Ray, who worked as a cart puller in the village. When he stepped outside, unaware of their proximity, the animals attacked him, leading to his death," Kaunda added.
The forest department has made arrangements to disburse an ex gratia of Rs 4 lakh to the families of the deceased.
Tathagata Bhattachrjee