BOKARO: An alert was sounded in the foothills of Jhumra after a dozen houses were razed by elephants here recently.
Wary of more such attacks, locals are beating drums or lighting fire at the entry points of the village to keep the herds at bay, said Tara Devi, mukhiya of Kunda Panchayat.
The family of Rameshwar Mahto at Khakda village of Gomia fled from their house when a herd of elephants struck at their house on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday.
On Thursday, the elephants damaged houses at Sariapani village and polished off the foodgrain kept in the four houses after bringing down the walls.
Mahto said he was sleeping when he heard a ruckus outside and in no time, one of the walls of their house had collapsed. Before they could fathom what was wrong, a tusker dragged away a sack of foodgrain.