Two women killed by wild elephant in Raigarh district

Two elderly women were killed and another injured in an attack by a wild elephant in the Dharamjaigarh forest division in Chhattisgarh's Raigarh district today.
The incident took place early today morning at Thakurpaudi village, around 120 km from here, when the victims had gone to attend nature's call, Division Forest Officer (Dharamjaigarh) Pranay Mishra said.
The tusker held Budhni Bai Sai (65) and Sukhwaro Bai Manjhi (66)byits trunk and slammed them several times on the ground, killing them on the spot, reports said.
Another woman, Ramkumari Aghariya (28), sustained injuries but managed to escape. She was admitted to Patthalgaon hospital, Mishra said.

The kin of both the deceased were given an instant relief amount of Rs 25,000 each, the DFO said.
With today's incident, toll of people killed in elephantattacks since April this year in Dharamjaigarh region has risen to nine, he added.

Meanwhile, a local Block Education Officer, in a letter, has requested the district education officer (DEO) to change school time in Jamgaon, Bhagora and Sambalpur areas to ensure students' safety as these areas are witnessing frequent movement of wild elephants.
Education department sources said the BEO has asked to shift school time from 9.30 am to 4.30 pm to 9.30 am to 4 pm as elephants mostly venture out in herds in the evening.

Thickly forested areas of northern Chhattisgarh, comprising Surguja, Korba,Raigarh, Jashpur and Korea districts, are notorious for human-elephantconflict incidents.