Woman killed in wild elephant attack in Assam’s West Karbi Anglong

A woman was killed after a wild elephant attacked a group of villagers in Assam’s West Karbi Anglong district late on Sunday night, August 2, officials said.

The deceased was identified as Namika Sangma, wife of Krishna Rajbhar and a resident of Bor Matikhola village under the Southern Forest Range and Kheroni Police Station jurisdiction.

According to local reports, Namika had accompanied a group of women from Bor Matikhola village to collect water from the Kheroni-Kapili river for Bol Bam rituals. The group was heading towards the river at around 11 pm when a wild elephant suddenly attacked them near the Public Health Engineering (PHE) facility.

Namika was reportedly killed on the spot, while the other women managed to escape without injuries.

Following the incident, her body was taken to Kheroni Model Hospital. Doctors later referred the body to Diphu Medical College and Hospital for post-mortem examination.

The incident has once again brought the recurring threat of human-elephant conflict into focus in West Karbi Anglong, where residents living near forest areas continue to face risks from the movement of wild elephants.

The incident has triggered fear among villagers, with locals expressing concern over the increasing movement of elephants near human settlements.