In two separate incidents over the past 30 hours, wild elephant attacks in Chhattisgarh left four people dead, officials said on Tuesday. The deaths, reported from Balrampur and Korea districts, have prompted stepped-up forest department patrols and local warnings to residents.

Elephant tramples couple

What happened: Early Tuesday morning, a couple walking toward a nearby forest in Rajpur range of Balrampur district were trampled to death after encountering a lone tusker, forest officials said.

Where and when: The attack occurred around 5am near Bandhapara in Kundi village, about 200 metres from the victims’ home.

Who: The deceased were identified as Juthan Gond (65) and his wife Sundari Bai (56), residents of Kundi, according to the forest department.

Sequence: Initial reports indicate the pair set out from home toward the forest when they came across a solitary male elephant. “They tried to run, but the animal chased and trampled them,” a forest official at the scene said. Locals informed the forest staff; the SDO (Forest) R.S.L. Srivastava, ranger Ajay Verma and a team reached the site, examined the scene and sent the bodies for post-mortem.

Forest response: Ranger Verma said the deceased were attacked by a tusker that had separated from a herd of five elephants seen roaming the Kalyanpur forest area. “The animal moved toward Kundi late last night and was still in nearby forest this morning. We have increased surveillance and are advising villagers to stay alert,” he added.

Relief announced: The forest department said it has provided immediate ex gratia of Rs 25,000 each to the families and will process further assistance as per rules.

Workers killed on roadside

What happened: In an unrelated late-night incident in Korea district, two labourers sleeping beside a road under construction were trampled by a wild elephant, officials said.

Where and when: The attack took place near Devseel basti on the Ramgarh–Kotadol road stretch, around 11:30pm on Sunday, within the Sonhat range bordering the Guru Ghasidas Tamor Pingla Tiger Reserve.

Who: The victims were named as Gaurav (22) and Amar Singh (35), both residents of Gram Nagar and employed on the road project.

Sequence: Sources familiar with the matter said a lone tusker — apparently separated from an eight-elephant herd observed in the tiger reserve area — approached the sleeping workers and attacked them. Other labourers working at the site ran to safety and alerted locals and forest teams. Gaurav died at the spot; Amar Singh, critically injured, died while being transported to Sonhat hospital.

Forest action: Ranger Rajaram said the separated tusker carried out the attack. “An elephant herd has been moving in the reserve for days; one animal strayed from the group and reached the road work site late at night. We have warned nearby hamlets and asked construction crews to avoid sleeping outdoors,” he said.

Local impact and warnings

Residents and workers in both districts reported heightened fear after the incidents. The forest department said teams are conducting regular foot and vehicle patrols, using public announcements and community volunteers to spread warnings. Temporary movement restrictions in fringe areas may be implemented if the animals continue to approach villages.

Background context

Human-elephant conflicts have risen in parts of central India as expanding agriculture, road projects and seasonal water levels push elephants out of traditional corridors. Officials noted the recent movements of herds in Kalyanpur and the tiger reserve area, and attributed some incidents to solitary tuskers separating from groups at night.

What’s next

Forest officials said they will monitor the animals with intensified patrolling and coordinate with local administrations to reduce risk to villagers. Post-mortems and standard investigations into each attack are complete, and authorities are exploring longer-term measures — from night-time movement advisories to temporary barriers — to prevent similar tragedies.

Nearby districts have been asked to share real-time information on elephant movements. “We are advising people not to venture into forested patches alone, and construction crews must arrange safe sleeping facilities away from work sites,” a senior forest official said.