3 killed by herd of elephants in Bengal

Three persons, including a woman, were killed by a herd of elephants in separate incidents in Bardhaman district this morning, a forest department official said.

Anandamoyee Rai and Narayan Chandra Maji, both 60-years-old were trampled to death in Nashigram village under Bhatar police station in the district when they had gone to the fields early this morning.

At Baghasole village under Manteswar police station, Prakash Boyra (40) died after an elephant flung him by its trunk and then trampled him, DFO Ajay Kumar Das said.

Boyra, a resident of Katwa area of the district had come to the village to check his land.

A herd of five elephants reached the area from Bankura district after crossing Damodar river, the DFO said, adding forest department personnel were trying to push the jumbos back.

The pachyderms also destroyed the standing crops in various villages, he said.