A tragic incident occurred in Wang Chan District, Rayong Province on May 10th when a wild elephant attacked and killed a woman. The victim, identified as Miss Namthip, was a 40-year-old resident of the area. According to her sister’s testimony, Namthip was riding her motorcycle back home from work when she encountered 3-4 elephants in a palm plantation. She called for assistance from the elephant push team, who arrived at her house and asked her to lead them to the spot where the elephants were.
While walking, the group encountered a wild elephant, and it quickly charged at Namthip. The officers attempted to shoot and stop the elephant, but even after two magazines were exhausted, the animal continued its attack until Namthip tragically died in front of them. The elephant then walked away, while the other three elephants did not cross the shore to the scene of the accident. The authorities are still trying to identify which elephant attacked Namthip and have urged residents to be cautious.
Following the incident, Mr. Ratchata Changesee, the Permanent Secretary for Security, announced that the villagers were now prohibited from tapping rubber in the area due to safety concerns. Meanwhile, Mr. Triphop Wongtrairat, the governor of Rayong Province, expressed his condolences to the family of the deceased and has ordered authorities to take care of the safety of residents in the area.
The Wang Chan Police Station, along with coordinating doctors on duty at Wang Chan Hospital and Burapha Rescuers Ruamjai Wang Chan, arrived at the scene where they found Namthip’s body lying in a pool of blood with wounds all over her body, including broken ribs and limbs. The victim’s body was later sent for proof to Wang Chan Hospital.
The authorities are now rushing to locate the elephant responsible for the attack and have warned residents to avoid contact with wild elephants in the area.
