Two persons were trampled to death by a herd of elephants in Jharkhand's Palamu district on Thursday, a forest official said. The incident took place in Kishunpur village in Hussainabad block when a herd of 12-15 wild elephants entered the area early in the morning.
The pachyderms attacked the villagers when they tried to chase away the herd, and trampled two locals to death, he said. While 40-year-old Bansi Mahato died on the spot, 45-year-old Manoj Ram succumbed to his injuries at Hussainabad sub-divisional hospital.
Some villagers also suffered minor injuries while chasing away the herd. Forest personnel are trying to drive away the elephants from the locality back to a nearby forest. Medininagar Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) Ram Surat Prasad said an interim relief of Rs 25,000 each to the next of kin of the deceased will be provided for performing their last rites and further compensation as per the government's provision will be given after completion of certain formalities.
