Two elephants fell into a well at Lalka hamlet in West Midnapore district tonight, following which a herd of around 120 pachyderms cordoned off the area.
The two elephants fell in the well around 8 PM. Following this, a herd of elephants, of which the two were part of, cordoned off the area, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Rabindranath Saha said.
Forest personnel kept watch on the herd’s movement and handed over flaming torches to villagers.
However, with the presence of the herd and one of those elephants giving birth, the two trapped pachyderms couldn’t be rescued from the well, the officer said.
Meanwhile, panic spread in the area, and many villagers left their homes, local panchayat leaders said.