Two elderly men lost their lives in an encounter with a female elephant in the Jhargram district of West Bengal on Wednesday. This tragic event unfolded following the unfortunate death of the pachyderm's calf, as reported by a forest official.
The incident also saw the elephant causing damage to an unoccupied stationary bus, a motorcycle, and several residences in the vicinity of the renowned Rameshwar temple situated within the Chandabila forest range in Nayagram.
Expressing her condolences for the deceased individuals, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee declared that each of the two 60-year-old men's families would receive compensation of Rs 5 lakhs. Additionally, she assured that the government would undertake the necessary repairs for the homes damaged during the distressing episode.
The female elephant, in a distressing turn of events, attacked a group of people who had gathered to witness the calf's carcass, ultimately flinging two men to the ground, resulting in their tragic demise, the official explained.
The victims were identified as Ananta Jana (60), a resident of Deulbar village located within the jurisdiction of Nayagram Police Station, and Shashadhar Mahata, also 60 years of age, from the neighboring Biribaria area.
"Some people ventured to the Chandabila forest range to observe the carcass of the elephant calf when the elephant attacked them. While most of them managed to escape, unfortunately, the two elderly men did not. The elephant flung them to the ground, and they lost their lives on the spot," reported Kharagpur Divisional Forest Officer Shivananda Ram.
The Chief Minister expressed her sorrow over the mother elephant's aggression, which turned violent while protecting her deceased calf. The elephant claimed two human lives and inflicted damage upon numerous residences. Mamata Banerjee took to X, previously known as Twitter, to convey, "I announce compensation of Rs 5 lakh each to the next of kin of the deceased and promise house repairs for those affected."
The Forest Minister, Jyoti Priya Mallick, conveyed to PTI that the department's personnel successfully managed to drive away the mother elephant from the area.
This incident marked the first occurrence of an elephant attack in several months reported in Jhargram and the nearby regions, according to the minister. In response, a team of 40 forest personnel was deployed to monitor the situation.
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