Elephant tramples man to death

A man was trampled to death by an elephant after he went too close to it in Bethua Bazar area of Cox's Bazar's Chakaria yesterday.

The incident happened around 11:00am when Mohammad Ali, a member of a community patrol team, along with others, was trying to scare the animal back into a nearby forest from where it had come.

"Ali went near the elephant, ignoring warning from his colleagues. He was holding a torch, which probably made the huge animal furious," said Rafiqul Islam Chowdhury, divisional forest officer of Wildlife and Nature Conservation Division, Chattogram.

Mazharul Islam, forest range officer (Chunati area), said the same elephant enters Bethua Bazar at least once every year. This is the first time anyone has been killed.

He said after the elephant appeared in the area yesterday, members from local police, community patrol and elephant response teams went there to move it to safety. There were also many curious locals who gathered there.

The elephant went back to the forest later.