Guwahati, Oct 26 (IANS): A 39-year-old farmer was killed by a herd of wild elephants in Assam’s Udalguri district while he was returning home after attending Durga Puja festivities in the locality, officials said on Wednesday.

The incident happened on Monday late night when Abinash Gowala, who had previously worked in the vicinity of the Batabari forest range, was coming back home with his 8-year-old son from Navami Puja celebration.

He was trampled to death due to attack by the wild jumbos, but his son was able to flee, the police said.

However, the minor boy was seriously injured.

The locals claimed that wild elephants from the forest areas frequently emerge in quest of food, and on Monday night, over 20 of them did so.

"We prefer to hide ourselves when elephants approach residential areas since we are familiar with their sound. That evening, Abinash somehow missed it," a local told reporters.

Police said they learned of the occurrence on Monday night, and with the aid of forest rangers, they were able to recover the trampled body.

"The deceased was found late on Monday night, and a post-mortem examination was performed at a nearby government hospital," Udalguri's Superintendent of Police Pushkin Jain said.

The minor boy has been undergoing treatment at the hospital; however, he is out of danger.

This year, at least three such incidents involving the deaths of two young boys and a forest official have been recorded from various parts of Assam. According to officials of the Forest Department, conflicts like these typically arise when wild elephants venture out in search of food. They advised residents close to reserve forest areas to exercise greater caution.