Elephant kills infant girl in Gumla; Mother injured as wall collapses

Gumla: A four-month-old girl was killed and her mother sustained injuries after an elephant knocked down a wall of their house at Patratoli village in Gumla district’s Bharno block on Monday night.Anisha Oraon was sleeping next to her mother Sushma, 25, when the elephant knocked down the mud wall of their house around 11:50 pm, burying the infant alive under debris.Shekhar Singh, Basia forest beat officer, said the elephant strayed into the village from Lapung forest range of Ranchi forest division. “It reached Chandan Oraon’s house in search of food grains and knocked down the wall, killing the baby and injuring her mother. The girl’s father was sleeping in another room,” Singh said. Sushma was admitted to the Bharno community health centre and discharged after primary treatment.“Chandan was provided Rs 25,000 as immediate financial assistance and locals were asked to remain alert,” Singh said.Ravi Mahto, 65, was trampled to death by an elephant in a village in neighbouring Sisai block of the district on March 6.