Elephant attacks kill 82 people in India

At least 82 people have been killed in elephant attacks within a span of three years in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh, government said on Thursday. Forest Minister of Chattisgarh state, Vikram Usendi said that among the 82 people dead, 29 were women while 53 others were men. The rogue elephant attacks killing scores of people were registered in seven districts of the state between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2012, the minister said, while informing the state assembly. "The state government has compensated the human loss by distributing Rs 1. 53 crore to the next of kin of the elephant attack victims," he said. Human-elephant conflict is prevalent in the thickly-forested northern region of Chhattisgarh. The area has overseen killings of several people and damage to houses and crops by the rogue elephants. The forest minister also said that 21 elephants died in the state due to natural causes or by accidents. "Eight among them died due to electric shocks," he said.