Two women aged around 70 died in a blaze that broke out at a house in Nishiganj of Cooch Behar district early on Saturday.

Three fire engines doused the blaze in over two hours. Then, the charred bodies of Mira Dey, 70, and Sadhana Bose, 70, were brought out.

The fire service department and the police are probing the cause of the fire that apparently started around 4am, when some people spotted smoke spiralling out.

“Preliminary probe suggests the women were sleeping and could not come out,” said a police source.

Elephant kills man

A 55-year-old man died in an elephant attack at Nagrakata block of Jalpaiguri on Saturday morning.

Police sources said around 10am, Ram Bahadur, a resident of Upper Kalabari village, walked into a patch of forest that is near the Lakhipara tea estate of the block to collect fodder for his cattle.

“A wild elephant was nearby and it attacked him. He tried to run away but the elephant caught hold of him with its trunk and tossed him on the ground. He died on the spot,” said a police source.

As the news spread, a section of residents resorted to demonstration, alleging that trees have been planted on the land of the tea estate which is why elephants are roaming around. They also blocked NH 31 in protest, which brought traffic to a halt for some time.

Teams from Binnaguri wildlife squad and Banarhat police station went to the spot and could clear the highway. The body was also recovered and sent for post mortem.