Three elephants die of electrocution in Chhattisgarh

Raigarh: Three elephants, among them a calf, were electrocuted after coming in contact with a power line in a forest in Chhattisgarh's Raigarh district on Saturday, an official said.

Prime facie, the tuskers came in contact with an 11 KV (kilovolt) power transmission line of a state-run power company in Chuhkimar forest under the Tamnar forest range, said Stylo Mandavi, divisional forest officer (DFO) Raigarh division.

Forest personnel rushed to the spot, and a team of veterinarians conducted the post-mortem, she said, adding that the incident will be probed.

According to officials, Chhattisgarh has reported the death of more than 70 elephants in the last six years, with causes ranging from ailments and age to electrocution.

Human-elephant conflicts in the northern part of the state have been a major cause of concern in the last decade. Surguja, Raigarh, Korba, Surajpur, and Balrampur are some districts facing the menace.