3 devotees trampled to death, 2 injured by wild elephants in Andhra Pradesh

Three devotees were trampled to death by a herd of wild elephants in Andhra Pradesh's Annamayya district in the early hours of Tuesday.

Two others were critically injured in the incident that occurred in the forest area near Gondalakona in Obulavaripalle mandal.

Wild elephants attacked a group of devotees heading to a local temple for Shivratri celebrations around 2 am.

Three devotees hailing from Y. Kota died on the spot while two others were critically injured. The injured were shifted to a hospital, where their condition was stated to be critical.

The incident sent panic in the region. Forest department officials went on alert and launched an operation to drive away the elephants into forests.

Andhra Pradesh has witnessed a series of man-elephant conflicts in recent months. Rayalaseema districts bordering Tamil Nadu and Karnataka see frequent movement of wild elephants.

The movement of wild elephants has become more frequent recently in the forests of Chittoor and Tirupati regions. Last month two herds of wild elephants crossed into Seshachalam forests from neighbouring states.

The two herds, comprising 35 jumbos, are said to be competing for food, water, and dominance, creating havoc in nearby villages.

Forest officials say depleting resources in the forests and lack of habitat have driven elephants into human settlements, resulting in significant damage to crops, property and lives.