Elephant kills woman in Dedza

A stray elephant from Thuma Forest Reserve in Dedza has killed a 45-year-old woman. Police have identified the woman as Volontina Yonasi.

Police spokesperson in Dedza Beatrice Jafita said the incident occurred on April 16, 2024 at around 17 00 hours at Chilasamungo village in Dedza district.

She said police received a tip from villagers that the two elephants broke out from Thuma Forest Reserve and were feeding on plants in the said village and that a huge crowd of people went there to see the elephants.

Later, police officers alongside with forest and wildlife officers went to Chilasamungo village to control and sensitive the crowd not to come closer to the elephants.

Jafita said the parks and wild life officials started firing bullets in the air in an attempt to scare the elephants so they could return to Thuma Forest Reserve.

As the elephants were coming out of the maize farm, said Jafita, one of the elephants charged in the opposite direction where the deceased was coming from and out of fear, she fell down giving the chance to the wild animal to trample on her and she died instantly.

She said police tried all efforts to control the crowd so that the game rangers should do their work to control the wild animal but to no avail.

The two elephants are now being taken back to Thuma Forest Reserve by parks and wildlife officials.

Meanwhile, the dead body has been taken to Dedza District Hospital Mortuary pending postmortem examination.

Volontina Yonasi hailed from Kaulalo village in Traditional Authority Kamenyagwaza in Dedza district.