A homemaker from Samsing tea estate in Matiali block of Jalpaiguri died in an elephant attack on Thursday afternoon.

Sources said Ganga Mangar, 32, and her husband Birendra were on their way to Gairibas, Kalimpong, to invite some relatives to Birendra’s sister’s wedding.

They were travelling by bike along the Khunia-Gairibas road which passes through the Chapramari Wildlife Sanctuary and Sipchu forest when a wild tusker walked onto the road.

The duo got off the bike and began running. The tusker, however, managed to catch Ganga, wrapped her with the trunk and tossed her on the ground. She died on the spot.

Foresters from the Khunia forest range and personnel from the Nagrakat police station arrived at the spot and used sound crackers to steer the tusker, which was still standing nearby, deep into the forest.

The body was recovered and Birendra was also found nearby. He suffered injuries while trying to evade the elephant attack said a source.

Leopard attack

A worker at the Gayaganga tea estate, located in Phansidewa block of the Siliguri subdivision, was injured in an elephant attack on Thursday.

Nitu Minz was plucking tea leaves at the plantations when a leopard attacked her. She raised an alarm causing the animal to flee the spot. Other workers rushed her to the rural hospital in Phansidewa. Later, she was shifted to the North Bengal Medical College & Hospital.

Foresters from the Ghoshpukur forest range visited the garden, local people said.