Coimbatore: A seven-year-old girl was killed by a wild elephant near here, police said Saturday.
Ranjani, the daughter of a member of the anti-poaching squad, and her mother Chitra saw the animal in front of their house on Friday night after returning home from shopping, the police said.
The elephant got alarmed by the light from their cellphone and chased the girl and the mother.
The girl couldn't run fast as the animal lifted her with its trunk and hurled her to the ground before fleeing into the forest, the police said.
The injured girl was taken to a hospital and she died upon reaching there, police said.
Based on complaints, the forest department is checking the presence of elephants in the area and assured to prevent their straying into human habitats, they said.
The department made an initial payment of Rs 50,000 as compensation and the remaining Rs 3.50 lakh would be handed over to the victim's family soon, they added.
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