Chennai, May 31 (IANS): Officials of the Tamil Nadu Forest Department have issued an early warning system in the Gudalur forest range for two elephants after two people were killed last week.

The incidents took place on May 26-27 in the Baram and Arattuparai forest areas. The victims were a 46-year-old tea shop owner and a 40-year-old woman.

Besides the early warning system installed at Barwood, the Forest Department has also created a WhatsApp group for locals in the area to provide information on the movement of elephants.

Forest officials have warned general public not to venture out of their homes during early morning hours as well as after 7 p.m.

Meanwhule, early warning systems will also be installed at Baram, Arattuparai and Vagaimaram.

Locals told IANS that the elephants were spotted at Seaforth field number 10 on Monday evening and Rapid Response Force (RRF) have been deployed in four vulnerable spots.

Anti-poaching watchers are also deployed round the clock in the forest range areas in search of the killer elephants.

Four kumki elephants (trained captive elephants used in operations to trap wild tuskers) have been deployed at residential areas near the O-Valley forest range.

The Forest Department has also made arrangements to pick and drop school children where bus services are less.