Ranchi, May 5 (IANS): At least four persons were trampled to death by elephants in two separate incidents in Jharkhand within a span of five hours.

While three persons from the same family were killed in Latehar district, another person was killed in Giridih district, forest officials said.

In Latehar, a herd of about a dozen elephants reached a brick kiln at Chandwa town between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m. on Friday. Many labourers along with their family members were sleeping at the kiln.

The elephants not only ransacked the kiln, but also trampled to death a man identified as Panua Bhuiyan, his wife Babita Devi and daughter Manjisha Kumari, who were sleeping nearby.

The rest of the labourers present at the kiln managed to escape the elephant attack.

The Bhuiyan family hailed from Saraidih village in Garhwa district. The deceased couple used to work as brick kiln labourers.

Mahendra Bhuiyan, the father of Panua Bhuiyan, said that he is yet to overcome the demise of his son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter. His son and daughter-in-law were the sole breadwinners of the family.

The police and forest officials reached the spot on Friday morning. The bodies of the deceased have been sent for post-mortem. Locals said that elephant herds often attack their village, causing loss of life and property.

The second incident of jumbo attack was reported from Vrinda village in Giridih district, where a person identified as Lakhan Ravidas was crushed to death by a herd of elephants on Friday morning.

The elephants also ransacked an Anganwadi centre, and several houses in the village, besides destroying crops.