Korba, May 30 (PTI) A 38-year-old man was killed by a wild elephant in Chhattisgarh’s Korba district, officials said on Friday.
Teejram Dhobi was attacked by the jumbo near Bania village under Pasan forest range when he was returning after work from a brick kiln on Thursday late evening, a forest official here said.
Dhobi, a resident of Murli village under Hardibazar police station area, had recently shifted to his in-laws' place in Bania along with his wife to earn a livelihood, he said.
He and two other villagers were heading to Bania on their respective bicycles when they encountered two elephants. While two others escaped, one elephant caught hold of Dhobi with its trunk and smashed him to the ground, killing him, he said.
After being alerted, forest and police officials reached the spot and sent the body for post-mortem, the official said.
The victim’s wife was handed an instant relief amount of Rs 25,000 while the remaining compensation of Rs 5.75 lakh will be given after completing necessary formalities, he added.
Human-elephant conflicts have been a major cause of concern in Chhattisgarh in the last decade, especially in northern parts. The most-affected districts are Raigarh, Korba, Surajpur, Balrampur and Jashpur.
According to forest officials, more than 320 people were killed in elephant attacks in the state in the last five years.