Two killed by elephants in southern Tanzania

Two people, including a primary school pupil, were killed in a village in Tanzania's southern region of Lindi, a local leader said on Sunday.

Hamis Kalembo, Mkoka ward councilor, said the victims were attacked by the jumbos on Saturday afternoon as they were searching for lost goats in dense bush of Likwera village, where elephants have been roaming about for over a week.

"After having found themselves in danger, each of them started running to safety and one of the two children ran in one direction where one of them fell to the ground," said Kalembo.

However, the marauding elephants did not attack the boy that fell to the ground and instead kept chasing after the other boy that was running ahead and reached and killed him, said Kalembo.

The local leader added that after having killed the boy the elephants started to attack another villager and crushed him to death.

Nachingwea District Commissioner Rukia Muwango confirmed the incident, saying game wardens have been sent to the scene to drive away the elephants.

Lindi Regional Police Commander Renata Mzinga said the game wardens were still searching for the elephants. They are to drive them back to nearby Selous Game Reserve.

The previous elephant attack on humans occurred Thursday, when a 25-year-old grape farmer was trampled to death by a stray elephant in Tanzania's central district of Chamwino, 187 km from the country's capital, Dodoma.

In June, two farmers in Singida were killed by a herd of 32 elephants.

In May, four elephants roamed the University of Dodoma campus, bringing the university to a standstill. Park rangers were called in and the elephants were eventually scared off.

source: xinhua