2 Killed, 1 Injured In Meghalaya Elephant Attack

Two persons, including a woman, were killed and another seriously injured when a rogue elephant attacked them on separate occasions in Meghalaya's West Garo Hills district on Saturday, the police said.

The victims have been identified as Malsa Marak (35) and Bitu Marak (52), while the seriously injured is Herod Sangma (55), a senior police officer said.

All three are residents of Raksamgre community and rural development block of the district, he said.

The elephant that went rogue apparently got separated from its herd, which had been moving along the state's boundary with Assam.

In the first reported incident, Malsa Marak, who hails from Mengotchigre, was on her way to the rice fields along with her sister when she suddenly came upon the lone elephant, the officer said.

The pachyderm trampled her to death before moving on to Napakgre, where it injured two more persons, he stated.

Bitu Marak succumbed to his injuries, while Herod Sangma is battling for life at a local hospital.

Upon being informed about the incident, a wildlife team, led by DFO Arphiyush Sangma rushed the spot to take stock of the situation.

"The elephant has now moved to Assam. We are keeping a close watch on its movements. The damage done by it is yet to be assessed. We have been busy ensuring that no further killings take place," said the DFO.

Meanwhile, the administration has advised people in Raksamgre community and rural development block to not venture out unnecessarily as the "possibility of the pachyderm returning to the area cannot be ruled out".

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)