A wild tusker went on a rampage in the workers’ quarters of Gairkata tea estate near Banarhat under Dhupguri block of Jalpaiguri on Friday night and damaged a number of quarters.

A tea worker who was wounded while trying to flee is under treatment.

Sources said a wild tusker came out of the Moraghat forest in search of fodder, walked along the Gairkata-Nathua Road and entered the garden. It damaged the kitchen of tea worker Santuram Oraon and devoured rice and vegetables. As Oraon and his family raised an alert, their neighbours started beating utensils to drive away the animal.

The elephant then walked into workers’ quarters in Hindupara division of the garden, tried to get into a quarter and damaged a wall. A worker and his family escaped unhurt as parts of a wall fell. The tusker ate whatever food there was in the house.

Some residents tried to steer the elephant back to the forest. The angered animal gave them a chase. Kartick Nag, a worker, fell on the ground and suffered injuries.

The elephant stayed in the quarters for a couple of hours. Past midnight, it left for the forest, said residents.

Rajkumar Pal, range officer of Moraghat forest range, said those who faced losses will be compensated under government rules.

“We are preparing detailed reports of the damage caused by the tusker,” he said.

Siliguri fire

Six shops and an adjacent hutment at Bagrakote, ward 20 of Siliguri, were gutted in a blaze that broke out around 2.30am on Saturday.

The fire also damaged four two-wheelers and an e-rickshaw parked nearby.

Three fire tenders from Siliguri fire station doused the flames in two hours. A short-circuit is being suspected, but nothing has been confirmed.

Asok Bhattacharya, chairperson of the board of administrators at Siliguri Municipal Corporation, said he would appeal to the election commission to allow them to provide relief materials to affected people.

“Many have suffered damages in the blaze. It is because of the alertness of local residents that major damage was averted. There is an allegation that fire engines delayed in reaching the area. I will urge officials of the department concerned to conduct an inquiry,” said Bhattacharya.