Balod (Madhya Pradesh): A 60-year-old woman was killed by a wild elephant in Balod district of Madhya Pradesh in the wee hours of Tuesday. The deceased has been identified as Geetabai. The woman had gone out to a nearby forest to attend nature's call when she was attacked by the wild tusker.
When the elephant charged at her, she was unable to flee from the spot due to her old age. The elephant lifted the elderly woman and threw her on the ground. On hearing the news of the elephant attack, the villagers rushed to the spot. An ambulance was arranged and the injured woman was immediately taken to Community Health Centre at Daundi where doctors declared her dead.
Wild elephants have created havoc in the district in the recent past. People are living in constant fear. At least six to seven villagers have been killed in elephant attacks in the last few months. The wild beasts keep on changing their location. The forest department has issued warnings to people to guard themselves against elephant attacks.
The villagers were given instructions not to venture into the nearby forest. The forest department using Munadi (beating of drums) appealed to people to remain vigilant against wild pachyderms. Daundi Forest Department had issued alerts about a wild tusker roaming in the human habitation. About half a dozen villages such as Urjhe, Kunjkanhar, Lankasa, Dighwadi, Putarwahi and Bharritola have been put on maximum alert. Forest guards have been patrolling the area to track down the will tusker.
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"We have made announcements in the surrounding areas so that people remain alert. Efforts are made to stop the reoccurrence of such incidents. A team from the forest department has been monitoring the movement of the wild elephant in the region," Ayush Jain, Divisional Forest Officer, Balod, said. Meanwhile, police have sent the body of the deceased to a mortuary for a postmortem examination. The forest department and police have jointly started probing the incident.
