The menace of wild elephants continues unabated in Jharkhand as two more lives were lost in Bokaro district on Saturday, a day after three elderly persons were killed in separate elephant attacks in the same region.
The latest incident occurred in Gangpur village under the Mahuatand police station area, where a herd of elephants went on a rampage, leaving a trail of destruction.
According to officials and family members, the elephants entered Gangpur village late on Saturday and attacked the house of Somar Saw. As panic gripped the household, family members attempted to flee to the rooftop to save themselves.
However, the elephants surrounded the house, trapping the occupants. Somar Saw and his three-year-old grandson were killed on the spot. The deceased have been identified as Somar Saw and Aman Saw.
In the same incident, four people, including an elderly woman and three children, sustained serious injuries. They were rushed to Ramgarh Sadar Hospital, where they are undergoing treatment. The condition of some of the injured is reported to be critical.
The repeated attacks have triggered fear and unrest among residents of the area. Villagers blamed rampant deforestation and illegal mining for the escalating human-elephant conflict.
They said elephant herds have been camping along the Ramgarh-Bokaro border for nearly six months. Despite multiple fatalities across both districts, they alleged that no concrete steps have been taken so far to guide the animals towards designated wildlife corridors.
Bokaro Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Sandeep Shinde confirmed the deaths of two persons in the elephant attack. He said Quick Response Team (QRT) units are actively engaged in efforts to drive the herd back into forest areas.
Expert teams from Ramgarh district and neighbouring West Bengal have also been pressed into service.
The DFO has issued a video appeal urging residents not to venture out of their homes at night unless absolutely necessary, as forest officials continue operations to manage the situation and prevent further casualties.
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