A 47-year-old homemaker was trampled to death by an elephant in a Lalgarh forest early on Sunday morning.

Bhadu Kalsa, a resident of Dantikari village, was attacked when she suddenly came face to face with a herd of about a dozen in a sal forest around 4am, local people said.

One of Bhadu’s neighbours, Shibram Mahato, 57, said he and several others from the hamlet had stepped out for work or other chores when they heard a scream.

“It was around 4am. It was raining and dark. We heard a scream and ran in that direction. We saw Bhadu run as fast as she could. Soon, we were terrified to see a big elephant chasing her. But Bhadu could not escape. The elephant pushed her to the ground and trampled her,” said Shibram.

“We rushed her to the local health centre after the elephant went back and joined the herd. Bhadu was declared dead on arrival,” Shibram added.

Forest department sources said the herd had come from Jharkhand. Villagers said they were accustomed to seeing elephants but Sunday’s attack had taken them by surprise.

“We are used to seeing elephants. This is not harvest season and elephants normally come into villages only for food. But the way the elephant chased and trampled Bhadu to death is a matter of concern,” said a villager.

The forest department sources said Dantikari village abutted an elephant corridor connecting Tirakata and Chandra forest areas. It is part of a trail that herds from Jharkhand often take.

“Nearly 60 such elephants have come to these forests from Jharkhand in the past month. They usually go back within a few weeks. What happened on Sunday was unfortunate. We suspect Bhadu came in the elephant’s path because it was dark,” said Purabi Mahato, additional district forest officer, West Midnapore.

Later, villagers protested in front of forest officials when they visited the spot where Bhadu was killed. “Forest employees used to frequently patrol our neighbourhood and alert us when a herd passed. But now, they are not keeping vigil. We were not alerted to the herd (on Sunday),” said Santiram Mahato, a resident.

The foresters, however, said such measures were not in place during the monsoon. “It is not possible to arrange for hula parties (squads trained to chase away elephants) everywhere in the monsoon. We have been conducting awareness campaigns so that villagers are more careful,” a forest official said.

Jhargram DFO Basav Raj S. Holeyachi termed Bhadu’s death unfortunate. “We will step up vigil and alert villagers to approaching herds.”