In a tragic incident on Monday morning, two wild elephants killed three people in separate attacks in the Beohari forest range of Madhya Pradesh’s Shahdol district. The elephants, which had strayed from Bandhavgarh National Park, were reportedly moving toward Sanjay Gandhi Tiger Reserve via the Banas River when the attacks occurred.
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, in a post on X, announced a compensation of Rs 25 lakh each to the families of the deceased. He also stated that an inquiry had been ordered into the circumstances surrounding the deaths, particularly as the victims were engaged in collecting tendu leaves (used for rolling bidis) at the time. A preliminary relief of Rs 50,000 has already been provided to the families.
Attacks took place in three separate villages
According to Beohari Forest Sub Divisional Officer Resham Singh Dhurve, the attacks took place between 6 am and 8 am in three separate villages.
In Sanousi village, about 25 km from Beohari tehsil headquarters, 40-year-old Umesh Kol was trampled to death. His wife managed to escape by climbing a tree.
In Dhonda village, located around 27 km from Beohari, 65-year-old Devganiya Baiga lost her life in a similar attack.
The third victim, 80-year-old Mohan Lal Patel, was killed in Koluha-Ghatwa Barachh village nearby.
"Very sad news has been received about the death of three villagers in an elephant attack on villagers who had gone to collect tendu leaves in Shahdol district. On receiving information about the elephant attack, the forest department team has also been instructed to investigate the accident," CM Yadav posted on X.
Government Steps Up Elephant Management
The fatal attacks come just days after the state government approved a Rs 47.11 crore plan on May 13 to strengthen elephant management and prevent human-wildlife conflicts. The initiative aims to mitigate such tragic incidents through better monitoring and containment strategies.
(With PTI inputs)
