At least 13 villagers have been killed in elephant attacks over the past five days in Jharkhand’s West Singhbhum district, triggering widespread panic and grief in rural areas.
The situation is most critical in the Goilkera block, which has recorded the highest number of fatalities. A tusker has reportedly been roaming across multiple villages, attacking residents, damaging houses, and destroying stored food grains. Tribal families in the affected areas are facing not only the threat to life but also the loss of their livelihoods.
The fatalities have been reported from several blocks, including Tonto, Muffasil, and Goilkera. Multiple deaths were recorded in Goilkera alone, while other incidents occurred in villages under Tonto block and the Muffasil police station area. Officials said some additional cases are under verification.
The most tragic incident occurred in Sowan village of Goilkera block late Monday night, when an elephant attacked a house, killing three members of the same family, including an infant.
A three-year-old girl was seriously injured in the attack and was referred to a hospital in Rourkela, Odisha, for advanced treatment.
Apart from human casualties, elephants have damaged several homes and destroyed food supplies, worsening the hardship of already vulnerable families.
Despite the rising death toll, villagers allege that the Forest Department’s response has been largely reactive. Preventive measures have been limited to public announcements through loudspeakers and the distribution of firecrackers to scare away elephants.
Following the latest incident, the department provided immediate assistance of ₹20,000 to the affected family and initiated compensation procedures.
Local residents have expressed strong anger, demanding continuous monitoring of elephant movement, deployment of trained rapid-response teams, and long-term mitigation measures.
With 13 deaths in just five days, the situation is being described as out of control, raising urgent questions about the effectiveness of existing wildlife management strategies.
Also read: Justice MS Sonak appointed Chief Justice of Jharkhand HC
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