Garhwa, June 30 (UNI) Panic gripped Chirka village in Garhwa district of Jharkhand after a herd of wild elephants trampled two villagers to death late last night, triggering public outrage and renewed questions over the Forest Department’s preparedness and response.

The deceased have been identified as 40-year-old Pramila Devi and 35-year-old Sudhir Soreng, both residents of the affected village under Chinhiya police station limits.

According to eyewitnesses, Pramila Devi was speaking on the phone with her migrant husband outside her house when a lone elephant emerged from the nearby forest. Despite her attempt to flee, the elephant charged and trampled her to death on the spot.

In a separate incident just meters away, Sudhir Soreng came out of his house after hearing noise near his jackfruit tree. The same elephant reportedly attacked and fatally crushed him.

The twin fatalities have sparked widespread fear and grief in the village. Tensions flared this morning as angry residents gathered around the bodies, refusing to allow police or forest officials to retrieve them. Villagers accused the Forest Department of gross negligence, stating that no action had been taken despite five deaths in similar incidents in the last six months.

Chinhiya Police Station in-charge Amit Kumar reached the spot early morning and attempted to pacify the residents. However, the absence of senior forest officials until late morning further fueled the villagers’ anger.

Forest Ranger Gopal Chandra later informed media that the elephant had strayed from neighboring Chhattisgarh and assured that compensation procedures would soon begin upon instructions from senior authorities.

Despite repeated incidents and earlier protests—including a blockade on the Garhwa-Chiniya main road and a demonstration outside the local forest office—locals allege that authorities have failed to implement any effective mitigation measures.

“This is no longer a one-off tragedy. It’s a pattern—and we’re left to fend for ourselves,” said one agitated villager.

The growing frequency of human-elephant conflict in this belt continues to raise concerns about ineffective wildlife management and the lack of early warning systems or preventive measures in vulnerable zones.

UNI XC RN