Elephant attack kills 3 family members including one-month-old baby in Alipurduar; Villagers block road in protest

In a tragic incident late Friday night, three members of a single family died in an elephant attack at Sabhapati Mod in the Kunjangar area of Moyradanga Gram Panchayat, Falakata block, Alipurduar district. The deceased were identified as Makhanrani Das (65), Manoj Das (32), and Manisha Das, a 35-day-old infant. The attack occurred in the residential area, resulting in the deaths of the family members.

Following the incident, local villagers expressed their anger by blocking the Falakata-Kunjangar road on Saturday morning. They set tires on fire to protest against the forest department, alleging negligence in preventing wild animal incursions. Villagers stated that the barbed wire fencing installed to restrict animal movement has been repeatedly removed by sand mafias who use the area for illegal sand mining activities, leading to frequent breaches in the protective barriers.

The villagers demanded stricter monitoring and immediate repairs of the fencing to prevent further attacks. They highlighted that the removal of the fencing allows elephants and other wild animals to enter human settlements, increasing the risk of such incidents. The forest department’s role in maintaining security measures and monitoring the region remains a key concern among the affected communities.