70-year-old woman trampled to death by lone elephant in Korba forest

RAIPUR: A 70-year-old woman was trampled to death by a lone elephant while collecting mahua fruits in a forest area of Korba district on Wednesday, as the threat of human-elephant conflict in north Chhattisgarh continues.The victim, identified as Sukhmat Bai of Paturiadand village in Kendai forest range of Katghora division, had ventured into the forest around 5 am to collect fallen mahua fruits when she came face-to-face with the elephant.Based on the evidence from the ground, forest officials said the woman might have attempted to flee after spotting the animal, but was attacked before she could reach safety. She died on the spot.A forest department team reached the site soon after receiving information and completed the necessary formalities. An immediate relief amount of Rs 25,000 was handed over to the victim's family in the presence of local elected representatives, while the process for payment of statutory compensation has been initiated.Katghora divisional forest officials said the elephant involved in the incident was a solitary male that had entered the Kendai area from neighbouring Surguja forest division two days ago.

"We are monitoring its movement with the help of field staff and drone surveillance. However, tracking the exact location of the animal remains challenging because of dense forests and changing weather conditions," a forest official said.Frequent incidents of wild attacks have been reported amid large numbers of villagers entering forests to collect mahua fruits and wild mushrooms following the onset of the monsoon.

Forest officials said such activities often increase the risk of encounters with elephants.The department has urged villagers to avoid venturing alone into forests during early morning and late evening hours. Forest department data shows that nine people have died in elephant attacks across the two forest divisions over the past six months.Meanwhile, a herd of 49 elephants has been camping in the Chechahiya Pahar area of Jatga range for more than four months, keeping forest officials on alert as the farming season gathers pace and human activity in forest-fringe villages increases.