By IANS,
Guwahati : Three people, including a five-year-old girl, were killed by a herd of wild elephants in Assam Friday, an official said.
About five elephants entered Bhelapara village in Karbi Anglong district, about 260 km east of the state’s main city Guwahati, and went on a rampage killing three people.
“The elephants came from an adjoining hill in search of food and in the process trampled upon the three members of a tribal family,” the official said.
The victims were a five-year-old girl and her parents. Also, paddy fields and huts were smashed by the elephants.
Forest rangers and local residents have been using firecrackers and are beating drums to scare away the elephants roaming in the area for the past one week.
“The herd goes away for some time and comes back. The villagers are terrified,” the official said.
About 250 people were killed by elephants in Assam during the last five years, a wildlife department report said.