Latehar — A tragic wildlife attack in Jharkhand’s Latehar district has claimed the lives of two women, while another woman sustained serious injuries, sparking fear among residents in the region.
The incident took place in the Gurikaram forest under the Chhipadohar western range, within the Barwadih police station area. According to officials, forest and police teams recovered the bodies of the victims on Tuesday.
The deceased have been identified as Shilamaniya Devi (64) from Dorma Tola in Morwai village and Shanti Kunwar (50) from Jodri Tola. Both had gone into the forest on Monday to collect mahua flowers when they were suddenly attacked by a wild bison. The attack was so intense that both women died on the spot.
When they failed to return home by evening, worried family members began searching for them. Their bodies were found inside the forest the following day.
In a separate but related incident, the same animal is suspected to have attacked another woman in the Lath area, leaving her critically injured. She was rescued by locals and is currently receiving treatment at a hospital.
The incidents have created panic in Barwadih and Chhipadohar, with villagers expressing concern over safety in forest-adjacent areas. A joint team of police and Forest Department officials visited the site after receiving information about the attacks.
Forest officials have offered condolences to the families and provided immediate financial assistance of ₹50,000 each. They also assured that the remaining compensation of ₹3.5 lakh will be released after necessary formalities are completed.
Local residents have called on the administration to implement stronger safety measures to prevent such incidents and to expedite full compensation for the affected families.
The bodies have been sent to Latehar Sadar Hospital for post-mortem examination.
With inputs from IANS