India, May 23 -- Four women were mauled to death by a tigress in Maharashtra's Chandrapur district early on Friday, taking the toll of human-wildlife conflicts in the district to 18 since January, forest officials said.

The incident occurred between 6 am and 7 am in the forest area near Gunjewahi village under the Sindewahi forest range in the Bramhapuri forest division, according to preliminary information shared by the forest department.

The deceased women, all residents of Gunjewahi, were identified as Kawadabai Dadaji Mohurle, 45; Anitabai Dadaji Mohurle, 40; Sunita Kaushik Mohurle, 38; and Sangita Santosh Chaudhary, 50. Forest officials said that the women had entered the forest early in the morning along with a larger group to col...