Elephant, Who Had Trampled 4 To Death, Enters Puja Pandal In Jharkhand; 24
Injured In Stampede
Shweta Sengar, India Times
October 14, 2021
An elephant strayed away from its herd and entered a Durga Puja marquee at
Daroo in Jharkhand creating panic among devotees. In a stampede-like
situation, after the elephant disrupted the pandal, 24 people were injured.
The incident took place during sandhya aarti (evening prayer) at around
8.30 pm in the marquee at Daroo chowk in Hazaribag district on the second
day of the festival on Tuesday.
The tusker, which had trampled to death four persons in Hazaribagh district
during the past 30 hours, had strayed from a herd of 22 elephants and
reached the puja pandal, divisional forest officer of Hazaribag West
division, forest official RN Mishra told PTI.
Panic Everywhere
The elephant's presence created panic among about 2,000 residents and
villagers creating a stampede-like situation as they ran helter-skelter for
safety, he said.
A member of the Daroo puja committee, Ranjit Sinha said that on reaching
the pandal, the wild elephant appeared anxious and ran towards Bharajo
village before snatching a man and his son from the ground and throwing
them down.
The two were rushed to a hospital at Hazaribagh where they are undergoing
treatment.
The tusker, while retreating, also destroyed about six houses of the
villagers and also damaged the boundary walls of nearby buildings.
Daroo forest ranger Vijay Singh said that the forest officials had
information that a single elephant, which had caused panic at Katkamdag
forest range and Demotand on NH 33, has entered Daroo from Dighwar forest
and was present on NH 100. The department had tried to divert its movement.
Daroo is located about 25 km from the district headquarters of Hazaribag on
NH 100 on Hazaribag-Bagodar Road.
https://www.indiatimes.com/news/india/elephant-enters-durga-puja-pandal-jharkhand-551635.html