3 deaths in 4 days of 2026 due to human-elephant conflict in Hojai

A CORRESPONDENT

HOJAI: In the first four days of the New Year 2026, three people have lost their lives in elephant attacks in Hojai district, leaving the local community gripped with fear and a sense of insecurity. Food scarcity in forests during the winter months has driven elephants toward villages, making human-elephant conflict a serious cause for concern.

The most recent incident occurred late on Saturday night in the Radhanagar area. A herd of elephants, searching for food, crushed 60-year-old Pravesh Biswas, resulting in his tragic death. The incident took place at midnight when the herd moved out from the Kumarakata reserved forest area into residential localities, causing widespread damage to several homes and creating chaos in the region. Local residents say repeated incidents of elephant attacks have left people anxious and fearful. Forest Department officials stated that they were investigating the incident and are making special efforts to raise awareness among villagers to prevent such tragedies in the future.

Earlier, one Basudev Chauhan in Milik Basti and Anil Singh in Theplaguddi also died in separate elephant attacks.

These incidents are not only heartbreaking for the affected families but also highlight the growing tension between wildlife conservation and human safety. Residents of Hojai are now concerned about how to strike a balance between forests and villages, so that neither human lives are lost nor wildlife is harmed.

Also Read: Assam: Rangia Railway steps up efforts to protect wildlife, prevent elephant-train accidents