2 min readRanchiFeb 5, 2026 08:12 PM IST
Three elderly members of a family were trampled by a herd of elephants that entered Barkipunu village in Jharkhand’s Bokaro district early Thursday, forest officials said.
The incident occurred at around 3 am, when a herd of five elephants entered the village under the Gomia forest circle, said Bokaro Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Sandeep Shinde. The victims, Gangwa Karmali, his wife Kamla Devi and sister-in-law Bhagiya Devi –all between 60 and 65 years — were trampled while they were asleep, he said. All three deceased belonged to the same family.
“One woman was seriously injured in the incident and is undergoing treatment. The bodies are being sent for post-mortem,” Shinde told The Indian Express, adding that initial compensation already been provided to the affected family.
According to the DFO, forest department teams were deployed at the site to track elephant movement and additional teams are being mobilised from neighbouring districts. Officials in West Bengal’s Bankura district were also contacted to prevent further movement of the herd and escalation of the situation.
“There is anger among villagers, which initially delayed the lifting of the bodies. However, the situation is now under control and the bodies are being taken for post-mortem,” Shinde said.
The elephants were part of a migratory herd, making the situation more difficult to manage.
“At present, elephants are reported at two to three different locations in the region. When herds split and move across multiple areas, management becomes challenging,” he said.
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Shinde pointed out that the affected area has mining zones, highways and new infrastructure projects, which disturb natural elephant corridors and contribute to increased human–elephant conflict.
Following the incident, fear and tension gripped Barkipunnu village. Residents alleged repeated elephant incursions in the area and demanded stronger safety measures, adequate compensation for the families of the deceased, and proper medical care for the injured woman.
The forest department said efforts are underway to monitor elephant movement and prevent further incidents in the area.
