Wild elephant attack kills woman, injures 3 in eastern Sri Lanka

A 68-year-old woman was killed and three other people were injured on Friday after wild elephants entered the town of Valaichchenai in Sri Lanka's Eastern Province and attacked people and property.



The police said the wild elephants entered some villages in Valaichchenai at around 6:00 a.m. local time, prompting residents to flee.



The woman, who was a food seller, died after one of the elephants attacked her.



The elephant was chased back into the wild by wildlife and law enforcement officers.



Human-elephant conflict is a serious problem in Sri Lanka.



A total of 3,477 wild elephants and 1,190 people have died in Sri Lanka between 2015 and 2024 due to the ongoing human-elephant conflict, Minister of Environment Dammika Patabendi told parliament last year.