Wild elephant kills elderly woman in Khowai, residents vent ire on officials

An elderly woman was trampled to death by a wild elephant in Tripura's Khowai district early on Saturday, sparking unrest in the affected area.

The incident took place at Jumbari village under Teliamura subdivision when the victim, identified as Manimala Debbarma, 70, was attacked in the courtyard of her house in the early hours of the day, officials said.

Later, in the afternoon, Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha during whirlwind ADC election campaigns met the victim family and expressed his deep condolence.

Dr Saha through his social media post said that “In a tragic incident, a tribal mother, late Manimala Debbarma (69), a resident of Ramakrishnapur ADC village under Mungiakami R.D. Block, lost her life last night after being attacked by an elephant at her residence. Today, I met the bereaved family and conveyed my deepest condolences to them.”

While,  victim’s son, Ajit Debbarma, said the elephant suddenly attacked his mother early on Saturday, fatally injuring her.

The killing of the woman by the wild elephant triggered widespread anger among local residents, leading to a volatile situation in the area.

According to reports, a journalist and the Sub-Divisional Forest Officer (SDFO) were also attacked while attempting to gather information about the incident, as the situation quickly escalated into one resembling a battleground.

Enraged locals, outraged by the woman’s death, also attacked the local forest office.

The SDFO sustained injuries in the violence, while the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) reportedly fled the scene to escape the mounting mob fury.

Eyewitnesses alleged that police personnel present at the spot remained largely passive, acting as mere spectators during the chaos.

The situation in the area continues to remain tense following the incident.

In response, the Sub-Divisional Forest Officer and the Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Teliamura subdivision, in a joint undertaking, assured that compensation would be disbursed by Saturday itself in accordance with government rules and regulations.

"An amount of Rs 1 lakh has been issued by the Forest Department (DFO, Khowai), and Rs 4 lakh will be paid by Saturday itself from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) through the SDM, Teliamura,” the joint statement said.

The undertaking further stated that the Jumbari habitation area would be secured with solar electric fencing and elephant-proof trenches to prevent future incidents.

"Work will begin immediately, and the process of relocating the problematic elephant will also be initiated following due procedure," it added.

According to the joint statement, a proposal for the regularisation of volunteers will be sent to the Forest Headquarters and subsequently to the state government for approval. “The process will be fast-tracked, and every effort will be made to complete it on priority,” it said.

Officials noted that such incidents are not new to the region. Over the past several years, at least five people have been killed in wild elephant attacks in the Khowai district alone.

Saturday’s incident once again highlights the persistent challenge of human-elephant conflict in Northeastern states such as Assam and Tripura, where frequent encounters occur due to habitat encroachment and scarcity of food and water in forest areas.

Forest officials said wild elephants often venture outside forest zones in search of food and water, sometimes leading to fatal encounters with humans. As a precautionary measure, residents living near forested areas occasionally install electric fences, which have also resulted in the deaths of some elephants.