Agartala, April 4: Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha visited the family of a 70-year-old woman who was killed in an elephant attack in Jumbari village, located in the Teliamura sub-district of Khowai district, on Saturday. The incident occurred early in the morning when Manimala Debbarma was in her courtyard, and a wild elephant attacked her, resulting in her immediate death.
Before heading to an election rally in Chakmaghat, Chief Minister Saha met with the grieving family, expressing his condolences and assuring them of all possible assistance. “This is a very unfortunate incident. I have come to assess the situation personally. The government will provide all possible support,” he stated.
The administration has provided immediate assistance of ₹4 lakh from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) to the victim’s family, while the Forest Department has contributed an additional ₹1 lakh.
Accompanying the Chief Minister were Sambit Patra and other officials. According to the victim’s son, Ajit Debbarma, the elephant attacked suddenly, causing severe injuries that led to his mother’s death.
Following the incident, anger erupted in the area, leading to a tense situation. Upset villagers attacked the Forest Department’s office, resulting in injuries to the Sub-Divisional Forest Officer (SDFO), while the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) had to flee the scene. A journalist was also assaulted during the unrest.
Eyewitnesses have accused the police present at the scene of being inactive in managing the situation. Officials noted that human-elephant conflicts are not new to this area, with at least five people having died from elephant attacks in Khowai district over the past few years.
Experts suggest that a lack of food and water in forests, along with human encroachment, often drives elephants into populated areas, leading to such tragic incidents.