A woman was trampled to death, while two other women had escaped with injuries when a herd of wild elephants attacked them close to Mallanur railway station in Kuppam mandal in the early hours of Friday.
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According to information, Usha (36), a daily wager, used to shuttle between Mallanur railway station and Bengaluru. As usual, she along with her two women colleagues was on the way to board a train at the railway station from their native village nearby Parthichenu, when a herd of jumbos charged at them. Usha was trampled to death, while her companions received minor injuries and could take cover in the thickets.
The deceased woman is a widow, with three children. Her son (17) works in a bakery, while her daughter (15) is said to be a school dropout, and another daughter was married.
Forest officials said that at present two wild elephants are on the prowl, both as loners though joining frequently, in addition to a 14-member herd, roaming along various directions on the southwestern parts of the Koundinya elephant project sanctuary.
Given the proximity of the wild elephants to the railway track on the Chennai-Bengaluru section, the forest officials had sought the railway authorities to keep surveillance on the traffic. The woman’s body was shifted to the government hospital at Kuppam for autopsy. Senior forest officials are monitoring the situation.