RANCHI: A wild elephant allegedly died of electrocution on the Rania-Sode main road in Jharkhand’s Khunti district on Thursday morning. Its carcass was found lying in roadside bushes near Balika Middle School in Tetari village.
According to locals, the elephant was moving towards Tetari village after crossing the Koel River when it came into contact with a dangling 11,000-volt transmission line. The animal reportedly died on the spot.
After spotting the elephant, locals alerted forest officials and the local police. Police personnel and a Forest Department team subsequently arrived at the scene and initiated an investigation.
Acting Forester Sumit Topno said the power line was hanging at a very low height, suggesting that the elephant had come into contact with it and been electrocuted. He said the deceased elephant was a fully grown adult.
“It appears the elephant was approaching from the direction of the Koel River and was in the process of crossing the road when it came into contact with three 11,000-volt power lines hanging low over the road,” the acting forester said. The elephant, an exceptionally large animal, died instantly of electrocution, he added.
Topno noted that the exact cause of death would be confirmed only after the post-mortem report was received. An FIR would be registered, and the entire sequence of events would be investigated.
This is not an isolated incident, as elephants have died from electrocution in the past as well. In some areas, power lines installed to protect crops in fields are claiming the lives of elephants, while in others, low-hanging or broken electrical wires are proving fatal.
Previously, on September 7, 2026, a wild elephant died after coming into contact with a power line in Komar village, located within the Balumath police station area of Latehar district. On May 6, 2026, an adult male elephant was found dead in the Tiruldih-Saparum area of the Chandil forest range. An electric wire was wrapped around its trunk, and an electricity pole was also found lying nearby.
In November 2026, a male elephant also died after coming into contact with a broken electric wire near Salikuti village in the Jhinkpani block of Chaibasa.
There have also been recent reports of villagers in the area installing electric wires around their homes and crops to protect them from wild elephants.
On November 2, a woman also lost her life after coming into contact with such an electric wire.
The elephant's death after coming into contact with the 11,000-volt power lines has now raised serious questions about the safety and maintenance of electrical infrastructure in the region.