Balrampur (Chhattisgarh): A 65-year-old man was trampled to death by a wild elephant in Chhattisgarh's Balrampur district on Monday night, forest officials said. The incident occurred near Mahan river when the man was returning home from his relative's house after celebrating Holi.
The deceased, Ramsurat Bhagwan (65), a resident of Markadad, had walked to Narsinghpur to celebrate Holi with his relatives last evening. The forest workers had warned him of the presence of a herd of wild elephants in the area. They asked him not to go towards the forest, but Ramsurat did not cancel his trip and instead walked down to Narsinghpur. While returning at night, a wild elephant attacked him and he succumbed to his injuries on the spot. His body was found in the forest on Tuesday morning.
The forest department has handed over an immediate financial assistance amounting to Rs 25,000 to Ramsurat's family. The remaining amount of the compensation will be released after completing the necessary formalities, officials said.
Elephant-human conflicts have become a matter of concern in many districts of Chhattisgarh. Districts including Surguja, Raigarh, Korba, Surajpur, Mahasamund, Dhamtari, Gariaband, Balod, Balrampur and Kanker are under constant threat of wild elephants.
According to data available with the forest department, more than 240 people have died in elephant attacks in the last three years.
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