Assam: 80-year old man killed in rhino attack in Majuli river island

The incident took place at Bhakta Chapori area in the newly created river island district.

The deceased person was identified as Baluram Das.

AccordIng to the reports, the rhino had strayed out of Kaziranga National Park (KNP) and taking shelter in the river island last week and create panic among the local people.

Local villagers of Bhakat Chapori area said that, when the old man came out from his house today morning, the rhino attacked him in front of his house.

"The rhino took shelter at a sugarcane field. While the old man came out from his house for morning walk, the rhino attacked him just in front of the house," a local people said.

Local people had immediately admitted him at the government run Pitambor Dev Goswami Civil hospital at Gormur but the old man succumbed to his injuries.

The pachyderm had strayed out of Kaziranga National Park and took shelter in the river island since last five days.

"Believed that, the rhino swam Brahmaputra river and reached in Majuli," a local villager said.

It is not the first rhino attack incident in the river island, at least five people were killed and several others injured in rhino attacks in Majuli in past three years.

Kaziranga National Park is home to more than 91 per cent of Assam's one horned rhinos and more than 80 per cent of India's count.

Assam holds two third population of rhinos in the world.

According to the 2015 census, 2401 one horned rhinos found in Kaziranga.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)