Rajbiraj, February 13

Two women were killed after they were attacked by wild elephants that came from Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve in Saptari today.

The deceased have been identified as Manju Devi Sah, 35, and Durgi Devi Mukhiya, 45, of Kanchanarup Municipality-5, Saptari. Inspector Dilli Chauhan at Area Police Office, Kanchanrup, said two women were killed on the spot after tuskers attacked them at around 2:00pm while they were cutting grass.

Locals tried to chase away the elephants but it resulted in a stampede as they started running helter-skelter seeing the elephants turning towards them. Locals said the tuskers trampled on the women’s heads and chests.

Locals said they had raised the issue of tusker attacks during civic and parliamentary elections, but problem remained unaddressed. Locals, who are now fed up with the frequent attacks of tuskers, wild buffaloes and bears, had repeatedly urged the government and people’s representatives for help, but their pleas fell on deaf ears.

Jahir Hussain, a local of Kanchanrup said locals living in the periphery of the wildlife reserve had been spending sleepless nights for decades due to fear of wild animals

Koshi Tappu Wild Life Reserve mid-layer Management Committee Chair Birendra Yadav said wild beasts’ attacks were giving a hard time to the locals. He urged the government to seek a solution. “To stop displacement of people, a solution has to be sought at the earliest,” Yadav added.

People lose their lives every year in wild beasts’ attack in Saptari. Earlier, Fulawadevi Yadav, 70, of Kanchanrup Municipality-10, Sanjay Safi and Roshna Kumar Jha of Hanumannagar, Raghunath Khang of Bhardaha, Allauddin Khan of Bairawa and Sangita Yadav, of Kanchanrup Municiplaity-10 were killed in attacks by tuskers and wild buffaloes.

Wild animals have been giving a hard time to locals of Bhardaha, Kanchanpur, Portaha, Bairawa, Hanumannagar, Fattepur, Rupnagar, Dharampur, Odraha, Jagatpur and Mahuli, among other places, in the district.