Agartala, April 4 Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha, after visiting the house of an elderly woman who was trampled to death by a wild elephant in the state’s Khowai district early on Saturday, said the state government would do whatever possible to help the affected tribal family.
The incident took place at Jumbari village under Teliamura subdivision in Khowai district when the victim, identified as 70-year-old Manimala Debbarma, was attacked by a wild elephant in the courtyard of her house in the early hours of the day, officials said.
Before attending an election rally in Chakmaghat, the Chief Minister visited the house of Debbarma, a Janajati (tribal) woman who was tragically killed in the attack. Saha spoke with the bereaved family. Family members and relatives were in tears upon seeing the Chief Minister, an official said.
“This is very unfortunate. I have come here to see the situation personally. Whatever assistance we can provide will be provided. As per the rules, help from the State Government will be arranged,” Saha told the media.
The Chief Minister expressed deep grief and condolences to the family and assured them that the state government stands with them in this difficult time.
The family was immediately provided financial assistance of Rs 4 lakh from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) through the subdivisional administration.
The Forest Department also extended an additional support of Rs 1 lakh.
Among others, the Chief Minister was accompanied by Lok Sabha member from the Puri parliamentary constituency, Sambit Patra, who is also the Northeast Coordinator of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), along with other officials.
The victim’s son, Ajit Debbarma, said earlier that the elephant had suddenly attacked his mother in the early hours of Saturday, fatally injuring her.
The killing triggered widespread anger among local residents, leading to a volatile situation in the area.
According to reports, a journalist and the Sub-Divisional Forest Officer (SDFO) were also attacked while attempting to gather information about the incident, as the situation quickly escalated into one resembling a battleground.
Enraged locals, outraged by the woman’s death, also attacked the local forest office. The SDFO sustained injuries in the violence, while the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) reportedly fled the scene to escape the mounting mob fury.
Eyewitnesses alleged that police personnel present at the spot remained largely passive, acting as mere spectators during the chaos.
The situation in the area remains tense following the incident. Officials noted that such incidents are not new to the region. Over the past several years, at least five people have been killed in wild elephant attacks in the Khowai district alone.
Saturday’s incident once again highlights the persistent challenge of human–elephant conflict in Northeastern states such as Assam and Tripura, where frequent encounters occur due to habitat encroachment and the scarcity of food and water in forest areas.
Forest officials said wild elephants often venture outside forest zones in search of food and water, sometimes leading to fatal encounters with humans.
As a precautionary measure, residents living near forested areas occasionally install electric fences, which have also resulted in the deaths of some elephants.
--IANS
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