Surajpur: In a tragic incident of man-animal conflict, a herd of 11 rogue elephants crushed two sleeping children of a family to death while their parents survived the attack in Surajpur district of Chhattisgarh on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday.
The tragic incident unfolded at the Mulki hilltop in Ramanujnagar last night. Pankaj Kamal, Divisional Forest Officer, Surajpur said that the Pando family living in a hut in Ramanujnagar was sleeping when the herd of elephants attacked the inmates. The two children died on the spot in this attack while their parents somehow escaped unhurt and ran for their lives, Kamal said. Locals said that for the past several days, a herd of 11 elephants has been roaming in Ramanujnagar of Surajpur.
The forest department has confirmed the incident, which has led to a wave of mourning in the area. The incident has also stirred fear among the locals, who prefer to stay indoors.
After receiving information about the elephant attack, the forest department reached the spot and has provided financial assistance of Rs 25,000 to the bereaved family of the two deceased children. The forest department officials said that people have been building huts in the forest areas despite department advisories against the move.
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