Elephant falls into well in Jharkhand, rescue operation on

Jamshedpur: Operation is on to rescue a full grown elephant that fell into a well in Jharkhandi's Seraikela-Kharswan district, a senior forest department official said on Thursday.

The well in Aanda village in Nimdih block is 25 to 30 feet deep and the elephant, which was crossing the area with a herd, fell into it late on Wednesday night, the official said.

Seraikela divisional forest officer Aditya Narayan told PTI that a forest department team rushed to the spot, which falls in Chandil forest range, on being informed and began the rescue operation.

"The elephant is alive and we have put into service two earth moving machines to dig a ramp from a distance to create a way for it to come out of the well," he said.

The well is a dry one and is used for irrigation purposes, officials said.

Villagers in large number have assembled at the spot to have a glimpse of the elephant when it is rescued.

They said that as soon as the elephant fell into the well, others in the herd gathered around it.

The cry by the elephants in the dead of the winter night after the incident created panic among the villagers, they said. They also expressed apprehension that the animals will return on Thursday and damage their houses if the elephant is not brought out soon.