Bokaro, Feb 5 (IANS) Three members of a family were trampled to death and two others seriously injured after a herd of elephants went on a rampage in Jharkhand’s Bokaro district in the early hours of Thursday, triggering panic and grief in the area, officials said.

The incident occurred in Barkipunnu village under the Gomia block. According to villagers, a herd of elephants entered the village around 7 p.m. on Wednesday, but residents managed to drive the animals back into the nearby forest by raising an alarm.

However, the reprieve was short-lived. The same herd reportedly returned around 3 a.m. on Thursday and began wreaking havoc in the village. During the attack, three members of the Karmali family — two women and a man — were trampled to death on the spot.

The deceased have been identified as Ganga Karmali, Kamli Devi, and Bhagiya Devi. Two other family members who sustained serious injuries were rushed to a nearby hospital, where they are undergoing treatment and their condition is being closely monitored by doctors.

The tragic incident has left Barkipunnu village in shock, with a pall of gloom hanging over the area.

Residents said elephant movement in the region has increased significantly in recent months, and the absence of adequate preventive measures has led to repeated fatal encounters.

The latest deaths come close on the heels of another elephant attack on January 25, when Karamchand Soren was killed in the remote Darhabera village of the same Gomia block.

Following that incident, state minister Yogendra Prasad had taken cognisance of the matter and issued directions to the Forest Department to curb the elephant menace.

Despite those assurances, the fresh incident has raised serious questions about the preparedness and response of the Forest Department.

Official sources said that more than 18 people have lost their lives in elephant attacks across Jharkhand since January this year.

The rising toll has brought the issue of human-elephant conflict into sharp focus in the state, with growing demands for concrete and effective measures to prevent further loss of life.

–IANS

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