Goaltore: A herd of 20 Dalma elephants killed a woman and her 13-month-old grandson after smashing down their mud house near Mahalishai forest in West Midnapore’s Goaltore on Wednesday night.
The herd strayed into human habitat after an elephant calf and an adult elephant fell into wells in the forest over the last two days.
Forest officials were forced to take help of CRPF personnel from a nearby camp to rescue the elephants.
Around 10.30pm on Wednesday, the herd entered Sulabandi adjoining Mahalisai forest in search of food.
When residents came out of their houses in alarm, the elephants smashed two mud houses, including one in which Alhadi Mandi and her grandson were sleeping. The elephants hurled the sleeping duo to the ground. Both died on the spot.
DFO Rupnarayanpur Arnab Sengupta said, “The bodies of the two victims have been sent for postmortem and we will arrange compensation for the family after the autopsy report arrives.”