Five people, including four members of a family, were killed after a herd of wild elephants attacked a house in Hazaribagh district of Jharkhand in the early hours of Friday, officials said.
The incident occurred between 1 am and 2 am in Gondwar village under Churchu block. According to forest officials, a herd of five elephants entered the village allegedly in search of food and attacked a house where the family was asleep.
All five occupants died on the spot.
Divisional Forest Officer (East Forest Division) Vikas Kumar Ujjwal said the herd was moving from the Bokaro–Ramgarh border area and its entry into Hazaribagh was not anticipated.
“The elephants reached Gondwar near Ango village late at night and entered a house belonging to a family from the Bhuiyan community while searching for food grains. On seeing the elephants, the family members tried to flee, but four people from the same household were trampled. All five victims died at the scene. One person sustained injuries and is undergoing treatment at Sheikh Bhikhari Medical College,” he said.
The officer added that the Forest Department had carried out nighttime public announcements in the area warning residents about elephant movement, but some villagers did not adhere to safety precautions.
Forest officials rushed to the spot soon after the incident. The department has urged residents to remain indoors and avoid venturing towards forested areas, as the elephants are reportedly aggressive.
Authorities said compensation and assistance would be provided to the bereaved families as per government norms.
The incident has triggered panic in the village, with residents expressing fear over recurring tusker movement in the region.