A 60-year-old former Zila Panchayat member was trampled to death by a herd of wild elephants in Chhattisgarh's Surajpur district, an official said on Friday.
The body of Shankar Singh, a resident of Pakhni village in Pratappur forest range, was found by locals in the jungle on Thursday, the official said.
Singh had left for neighbouring Parmeshwar village on foot on July 6, but had failed to return home, he said.
Despite extensive search, the victim's family was unable to track him down, he said.
"Footprints of elephants were found around the body and after examining the remains, we have come to the conclusion that he was attacked by pachyderms," he said.
Surajpur, a neighbouring district of Korba, is located around 350 km away from capital Raipur.
The family of the man, who was a former member of the Surajpur Zila Panchayat, have been provided an instant relief of Rs 25,000, the official said, adding that remaining compensation will be disbursed after completion of formalities.
Forest personnel have been directed to keep a tab on the herd's movement to prevent any more untoward incidents, he added.
Several incidents of human-elephant conflict have been reported in the past from the thick forested northern hhattisgarh, comprising Surguja, Surajpur, Korba, Raigarh, Jashpur, Balrampur and Koriya districts.
4 Maoists Carrying Rs 20 Lakh Reward Surrender In Chhattisgarh's Sukma Chhattisgarh SET Admit Card 2024 Released: Check Steps To Download Woman Missing After Husband's Death, Family Thinks She Died On Funeral Pyre Under-Fire Trainee IAS Officer Accuses Pune Collector Of Harassment Trainee IAS Officer Puja Khedkar Recalled To Academy, Training Put On Hold Anand Mahindra Shares Picture Of US Senator's Indian Wedding, Calls It... Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 Launched In India; Prices Start At Rs. 2.39 Lakh Admission Deadline Extended For EWS And Special Needs Children UGC Launches Project To Develop 22,000 Books In Indian Languages Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.