Two wild elephants entered Gangi village in Bihar's Kishanganj district on Wednesday morning, trampling standing paddy crops, damaging houses and triggering panic as residents ran to safety, according to local reports and officials.

Two people were seriously injured after being caught by the elephants as they tried to flee. Both were taken to the Bahadurganj Primary Health Centre and then referred to a higher medical facility because of the severity of their injuries.

Mofiz Alam, an elderly resident of Altabari, died during the referral process. An injured child from Darnia village, who is not being named, was referred to Siliguri for further treatment.

Forest team tracking the elephants

After the incident, the sub-divisional police officer, personnel from Bahadurganj police station and a Forest Department team reached the area. Forest officials Pankaj Kumar and Mukesh Kumar urged villagers to keep a safe distance, said the animals' movements were being monitored and that the crowd had been cleared from the affected area.

Mukesh Kumar said the elephants had caused similar damage in the Dhantola area of Dighalbank on Tuesday, and that the Forest Department team is tracking the animals and trying to guide them safely back towards the forest. Villagers have been advised to remain vigilant. Reports said the elephants were believed to have strayed from forests in Nepal, near the India-Nepal border district.