60-year-old woman trampled by tusker in W Midnapore

A 60-year-old woman was killed after being trampled by an elephant when she went to collect fire wood in Punnapani Jungle at Lalgarh in West Midnapore.

The woman, Luli Sabar, went to the jungle on Thursday evening. On Friday morning, local people found her body in the jungle. They informed the police and the body was sent for an autopsy.

Local people claimed that for the past few days, a herd of 20 elephants were running amok in Rangamati, Karomsole, Tarki and Padhi villages in the area. It had led to a huge loss of crops.

Police suspect after preliminary investigation that the elderly victim failed to run when she came face to face with the herd and got trampled by an elephant.

The police informed the matter to the officials of the state Forest department.

According to an official of the Forest department, steps have already been taken to send the elephants back to the jungles. It would take some more days to send all the 20 to 22 elephants back inside the jungle.

Forest department officials asked the local people to stay vigilant till all the elephants are sent back inside the jungle.

The people have been asked to avoid going inside the jungles and if needed they should go in a group.

It may be recalled that a few weeks ago, an elephant had killed a man at Garbeta in West Midnapore. The incident took place when the victim Tira Murmu,a resident of Golakdamai village, was working in his agricultural field.

The elephant had attacked him when he tried to send the animal out of his field. The elephant had damaged crops in the entire field.

Forest department officers were sent to tranquilise the elephant and the direction for the animal's treatment was also given as it had received severe injuries on one leg.