Alipurduar, Oct. 23 -- In two separate incidents within six hours, three people, including a one-and-a-half-year-old girl, were killed in elephant attacks in the Madharihat area of Alipurduar district on Wednesday night, triggering panic among residents of Kharia Para and Madhya Chekamari.
Around 7:30 pm, a tuskless male elephant (makna) trampled Abdul Kadir to death in front of his house while he was returning from the market. Later, around 11:30 pm, the same elephant attacked again at Kharia Para, about five kilometre away, killing 34-year-old Sonai Munda and her daughter, Laxmi. According to forest officials, Sonai, her husband Sitaram, and their child were returning home after attending a Kali Puja ceremony when the elephant suddenly appeared.
Sitaram, walking a few steps behind, watched helplessly as his wife and child were crushed to death. "I saw my wife and little girl being crushed right before my eyes," said a grief-stricken Sitaram Munda. "I just stood there, helpless. I can't forget their cries for help."
Forest officials have confirmed that a lone makna elephant, separated from its herd, is responsible for the killings. The Jaldapara Forest Division has launched a massive search operation to track and identify the animal. Fear and anger have gripped the area, with the Forest department issuing warnings to residents to stay indoors after dark.
Jaldapara DFO Parveen Kaswan said: "We are certain that a single elephant is responsible. Efforts are underway to identify it.
The deaths are deeply tragic, and we are extending all possible support to the bereaved families."
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.