A young man was killed after being dragged out of his car and trampled by wild elephants in the Gomia police station area of Bokaro district in Jharkhand late on Sunday night, triggering fear and panic among local residents.
According to police, the incident occurred near Simrabeda Mahto Tola, close to Kander village, an area located along the Bokaro–Ramgarh district border.
A herd of three to five wild elephants has been roaming the region for the past few days, and one such herd was involved in the fatal attack.
The deceased has been identified as Ravindra Dangi, a resident of Murumtala in Ramgarh district. He was a vegetable vendor by profession. At the time of the incident, Dangi was travelling in a Maruti Omni car when the herd of elephants suddenly appeared on the road.
The elephants reportedly stopped the car, pulled Dangi out of the vehicle, and trampled him to death in a nearby field. Eyewitnesses said that villagers had already warned about the presence of elephants in the area, but the victim continued driving.
Following the incident, fear gripped passersby and nearby villagers. Local residents alleged that despite frequent elephant movement in the area, adequate safety measures and warning systems have not been put in place.
The Forest Department stated that the unfortunate incident took place around 8 pm on January 18 in the Gomia forest range. Officials said a herd of elephants is currently moving through the area in search of food and water, leading them towards human settlements.
A Quick Response Team was rushed to the spot to monitor and control the situation. Forest department officials said the body has been sent for post-mortem.
The Forest department has appealed to people to avoid travelling near forests and elephant corridors at night and to immediately inform officials if elephants are spotted.
Also read: Jharkhand to host first-ever Hill Marathon at Netarhat
Follow us
