Couple trampled to death by wild elephants in West Bengal

Wild elephants trampled to death a middle-aged couple at Jamidarguri village under Siliguri sub-division in West Bengal in the wee hours today, official sources said.

Divisional Forest Officer, Kurseong, Y T Adden said a huge herd of 110 elephants, including 15 calves, had entered the Kalabari forest under Panighata Forest Range near the Indo-Nepal border.

Some four to five pachyderms reached Jamidarguri village under Bagdogra Forest Range after midnight last night and attacked the couple's house in search of food. The animals trampled to death Madan Chhetri(52) and his wife Parvati(38). The house was also damaged.

Circle Inspector, Bagdogra, Goutam Ghosal said angry villagers blocked the Siliguri-Naxalbari road for two hours this morning disrupting peak time traffic. The blockade was lifted after police intervened.

Mewanwhile, forest officials arrived on the scene with domesticated elephants and drums and crackers to drive out the elephants.

So far three persons have been killed and four injured and some fifty houses flattened since the group of elephants started shuttling between the borders of India and Nepal with the onset of monsoon.

Two critically wounded men are undergoing treatment in the hospitals. One of them, Dil Bahadur Chettri, who suffered bone injuries, was referred to the Bangur Hospital in Kolkata.

NNN

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