Woman dies in elephant attack in Hassan

A wild elephant trampled a woman to death at Mugali village in Sakaleshpur taluk of Hassan on Tuesday (January 13, 2026) morning.

Shobha, 40, a plantation worker, encountered the elephant while she was on the way to her workplace.

Following the death, local people staged a protest condemning the incident, and demanding a permanent solution to the human-elephant conflict.

Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre mourned the woman’s death. In his message, the minister said that he had instructed the officers of the Forest Department to drive the elephant back to the forest.

“Every life is precious. However, we cannot bring the departed soul back. In order to extend a helping hand to the bereaved family, the department will offer ex-gratia,” he said.

Further, the minister said he had instructed the officers to take steps to avoid human-elephant conflicts.