Sonitpur, 19 June (HS): A wild elephant killed after suffering an electric shock from a power transformer in Assam's Sonitpur district during the night, officials said on Friday.

According to local residents, the elephant had reportedly strayed out of the Balipara Reserve Forest in search of food and wandered into the Charduar area. During its movement through the locality, the animal came into contact with an electricity transformer and was fatally electrocuted on the spot.

Forest department personnel reached the site on Friday morning after receiving information about the incident and initiated the necessary procedures. Authorities have begun an inquiry to ascertain the exact circumstances that led to the electrocution.

The incident has once again highlighted the growing human-elephant conflict in forest-fringe regions, where wild elephants frequently venture into human settlements in search of food, often leading to tragic consequences.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Sriprakash