A herd of 23 wild elephants trampled a 35-year-old man to death in the Sukurda forest under Basia block of Gumla district on Wednesday evening.
Officials identified the deceased as Bhola Singh, a local resident of Saredih village. The tragic wildlife attack took place around 5:00 PM near the forest edge.
Earlier that day, Bhola’s father had travelled to Sukurda village to attend a local fair, known as the Indra Mela, leaving his family behind at home.
In the evening, Bhola rode his bicycle toward Sukurda to bring his father back home safely before nightfall. He crossed paths with the wandering elephant herd.
The herd suddenly emerged from the dense woods onto the path. Before Bhola could escape the danger, a large elephant grabbed him tightly with its trunk.
The animal dragged him deep into the forest, where the remaining elephants trampled him to death on the spot, leaving him no chance of survival.
Local villagers alerted the authorities immediately upon discovering the attack. Forester Shekhar Kumar rushed to the spot with a Forest Department team and Basia police personnel.
Forest officials and police, with help from local residents, searched the woods and recovered Bhola’s body. They later sent the remains to Sadar Hospital in Gumla.
Doctors at the hospital conducted a post-mortem examination on the body. Meanwhile, the local administration assured the bereaved family of full financial support under government rules.
On Thursday, Forester Shekhar Kumar visited the family and handed over a cheque of ₹1 lakh to Bhola’s dependents as immediate relief and emergency assistance.
He also confirmed that the administration will release the remaining compensation amount soon, strictly following established state government guidelines for human-wildlife conflict victims.
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