A 55-year-old villager was trampled to death by an elephant in Chhattisgarh's Raigarh district while he had ventured into the forest to collect firewood on Saturday. The deceased has been identified as Malikram Banjara, a resident of Indkalo village in the Dharamjaigarh forest division.
Incident Details
According to forest officials, Banjara had gone towards the Chhenapatra forest area on Friday to gather firewood. When he did not return home until late evening, concerned villagers launched a search operation. His body was later discovered inside the forest. Preliminary investigation indicated that he was crushed to death by an elephant roaming in the area.
The tragic incident occurred in the Alola beat of the Kapu range, where a lone elephant had strayed from the neighboring Surguja district and had been moving around for the past few days. Forest department teams had been conducting public announcements in nearby villages, urging residents not to venture into the forest due to elephant movement.
Response and Precautions
Soon after receiving information about the death, forest officials reached the spot and shifted the body to a hospital for postmortem. Officials stated that villagers in the region are repeatedly being sensitized about elephant presence, especially during evening and early morning hours when the movement of elephants increases.
Raigarh and adjoining forest divisions have witnessed a rise in elephant movement over the years, with frequent crop damage, house destruction, and fatal attacks emerging as a major concern for both forest authorities and local residents. The forest department continues to monitor the situation and advises residents to remain cautious.
