Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Wednesday termed the death of seven elephants in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh "absolutely shocking" and said a full inquiry must take place immediately as well as preventive measures be instituted.

A forest official said three more elephants have died in the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve (BTR) in Madhya Pradesh's Umaria district, taking the toll to seven. The condition of three other tuskers was serious, the official said.

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, "The news from the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve that seven elephants have died while two or three more are critical, is absolutely shocking."

"This wipes out some 10 per cent of the elephant population in the reserve at one go. A full inquiry must take place immediately and preventive measures must be instituted," the former environment minister said on X, tagging Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav.

Madhya Pradesh's Forest Minister Ramniwas Rawat has ordered a probe by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) into the death of the tuskers and asked officials to ensure strict action against culprits.

BTR's deputy director Prakash Kumar Verma said prime facie, the elephants seemed to have died after consuming Kodo millet, but the exact cause will be known after the autopsy.

Four wild elephants were found dead in the BTR on Tuesday while four others, part of the same herd of 13 tuskers, were found ill during routine patrolling, officials earlier said.

Verma on Wednesday said so far seven elephants have died. They were part of the herd of 13 pachyderms, he informed.

The condition of three other jumbos was serious and they were being treated, while the BTR teams were monitoring the movement of remaining elephants that were part of the herd, he said.

Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Telegraph Online staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.