Ranchi, March 2 (IANS) A man was killed on Monday after a wild elephant strayed into a residential area under the Ratu police station limits on the outskirts of Ranchi.

The incident has triggered panic among residents of nearby areas.

The incident occurred in Pali village, where the pachyderm attacked and fatally injured Subodh Khalkho.

Villagers said the animal was first sighted early in the morning near Chittarkota Patra village before it moved towards Pali. Both are densely populated areas.

This marks the second such incident in four days in which an elephant has ventured into residential localities of the state capital.

According to locals, the same elephant had entered the Ranchi-Hatia area last Friday and was seen roaming through streets and residential neighbourhoods for nearly four hours before retreating.

Forest Department officials said the jumbo movement is being closely monitored. Teams have been deployed in the affected areas, and efforts are underway to safely guide the animal back into the forest.

As a precautionary measure, villagers have been advised to stay indoors, keep children and elderly family members safe, and maintain a safe distance from the elephant.

Authorities have also urged people not to attempt to chase or provoke the animal.

Incidents of stray elephants entering Ranchi and its adjoining areas have been reported repeatedly in recent years, highlighting the growing challenge of human-elephant conflict in Jharkhand.

In June 2024, an elephant was spotted near the Jharkhand Assembly complex in Kute, on the outskirts of the city. Earlier, two elephants had entered an abandoned cold storage facility in the Ratu area. In January 2013, an elephant had strayed into the Deepatoli Army Cantonment area, causing widespread alarm.

Chief Minister Hemant Soren has expressed concern over the increasing frequency of such incidents. He chaired a review meeting with Forest Department officials and directed them to devise effective and long-term strategies to prevent elephant intrusions in residential areas.

According to official estimates, as many as 27 people have lost their lives in elephant attacks across various districts of Jharkhand in the past few months alone.

–IANS

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