An 80-year-old man of Nawa village, under Tarhassi police station, was trampled to death by an elephant on Friday night. Chand Singh, who was plucking mahua fruit, irked the elephant when he pointed his flashlight on it after he heard a movement near him.
“The elephant lifted him with his trunk and trampled him to death,” DFO (north) NCS Munda said, quoting the version of one survivor Rajinder Bhuiyan, who had accompanied Singh. Bhuiyan managed to escape the attack.
Munda said Chand Singh and Rajinder Bhuiyan were collecting mahua fruits on Friday night when they heard a sound of movement. Bhuiyan asked Singh to run after he sensed it was an elephant but the old man ignored the warning. The district administration has given Singh’s wife an ex gratia of Rs 50,000.
Forest officials said the two elephants had entered the area from Balumath in Latehar. Sources said this is the first human casualty by elephant in Tarhassi block in the last 10 years.