A 30-year-old labourer and a 10-year-old boy were killed in separate attacks by an elephant herd at two brick kilns in Koderma district on Tuesday night, police said. The deceased were identified as Rajkumar Manjhi, a native of Bihar, and Lavkush Kumar, a local resident.
Incident Details
Witnesses reported that the herd first arrived at a kiln in Kanjhiyadih around 11:30 pm, where they trampled Rajkumar to death and injured his wife. Over an hour later, the same herd moved towards another kiln at Khagradih Khoha hill, where they killed the boy and injured his mother and his two-and-a-half-month-old sibling.
Response by Authorities
Police and Forest Ranger Ravindra Kumar rushed to the site soon after the incidents. They provided an immediate compensation of Rs 25,000 each to the grieving families and transported the injured to Sadar hospital for treatment.
Fear Among Labourers
About 40 labourers working in the kilns are terrified of returning to their huts. In the past one month, seven persons have lost their lives in elephant attacks in Koderma district.
Villagers' Concerns
While the forest department has been providing compensation, villagers argued that stop-gap solutions do not address the root cause. Many residents of villages adjacent to forests are spending their nights beating drums and using torches to keep away elephant herds wandering in various blocks in search of food and water.
Forest Department's Stand
Divisional Forest Officer Saumitra Shukla emphasized the need for cautious coexistence and vigilance by the forest department. “We are working to track the movement of the herd to prevent further entry into residential pockets,” the DFO stated. “While we are ensuring that compensation is processed swiftly, we urge villagers not to provoke the animals and to inform the rapid response teams immediately upon sighting elephants. Our priority remains the safety of the people, and we are exploring long-term measures to create a safer corridor for elephants away from human settlements,” he added.
