Tripura: 62-year old tribal man trampled to death by elephant

A elephant killed a 62-year-old man near a jungle in Khowai's North Ghilatali on Wednesday. Chitta Mohan Debbarma had gone to the nearby jungle to collect firewood when a wild elephant attacked him.

Khowai: A 62-year-old tribal man was trampled to death by a wild elephant near a jungle in Khowai's North Ghilatali on Wednesday.

The deceased has been identified as Chitta Mohan Debbarma. Debbarma had gone to the nearby jungle to collect firewood when the wild elephant hiding in the bushes attacked him.

Local villagers alleged that they had called the police and the forest official over the phone but they reached late.

Forest official Montu Debbarma while expressing his grief on the untoward incident said that the government will pay compensation to the family members of the deceased as per the guidelines.

However, he added that during the month of March the forest department wanted to arrange for guards in the villages but it was not allowed.

"If that arrangement would have been allowed, this incident could have been avoided," he said.

Besides deaths caused by wild tuskers in Tripura, there are also regular incidents of attack by wild bears.

The man-elephant tussle is reaching monstrous proportions in the Ghilatali area where during the last three years, at least nine persons have been killed in such attacks.