GUWAHATI, Oct 3: A 65-year-old woman was killed after being attacked by a wild elephant in Thengapara village under the Rani Forest Range in Assam’s Kamrup district on Friday morning, raising fresh concerns over recurring human-elephant conflict in the area.
The deceased, identified as Alani Rabha, was attacked around 5 am after an elephant that had been moving through Garopara and adjoining areas since Wednesday night entered the residential locality.
According to her husband, Madan Rabha, 75, the elephant was moving through paddy fields towards their house in the early hours. Alani ran towards a neighbour’s house while Madan hid behind their home.
The elephant initially moved towards the road leading to the forest before turning back and charging at Alani, who was in the neighbour’s courtyard. She fell while attempting to flee, following which the elephant reportedly struck her repeatedly with its trunk and dragged her towards the courtyard entrance before attacking her again. The animal moved away after neighbours raised an alarm.
Alani was taken to Rani Community Health Centre and later referred to Gauhati Medical College and Hospital. She died of her injuries while being taken to Guwahati.
The elephant had reportedly damaged a granary at Garopara around 3 am, pulled out a sack of paddy and consumed the grain. Villagers who attempted to drive it away said the animal charged at them whenever they raised an alarm. It later damaged another house at Challi before moving towards Thengapara.
The incident prompted resentment among residents, who said elephants frequently entered settlements and agricultural areas at night, damaging houses, granaries and crops and threatening lives.
Residents called for immediate intervention by the forest department, local MLA and district administration, besides stronger preventive measures in areas regularly frequented by elephants. They also urged authorities to identify elephant movement routes and vulnerable locations and take preventive measures before the animals entered densely populated areas.
The death has renewed concerns over the recurring human-elephant conflict in Rani under Palasbari LAC and the risk of further casualties.
