Jamshedpur: A woman and her minor daughter were crushed to death, while her father-in-law and mother-in-law were seriously injured when an elephant that got separated from its herd attacked their hut in Hadat village of Chandil forest range in Seraikela-Kharsawan district in the early hours of Saturday, a forest official said.Forester Mukesh Kumar said that on Friday night, a herd of five elephants from Purulia district of West Bengal had wandered into the village.“An elephant that got separated from the herd, probably attracted by the aroma of rice kept in sacks in the house, broke the wall of the thatched house. Mohan Mahato, 65, and Satula, 60, who were sleeping in a room, were buried under the debris of the collapsed wall,” he said.“Mahto’s son, Kamalchand, 40, his wife Cheena Devi, 37, and daughter Amita Bala, 13, who were sleeping in the adjacent room, heard the screams of Kamalchand’s parents and ran to save them. But he encountered an elephant in the verandah. In panic, Kamal Chand hid under a cot and managed to save his life, but Cheena and Amita were crushed to death.Locals rescued the injured elderly couple and shifted them to Chandil Community Health Center (CHC), from where they were referred to Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College and Hospital in Jamshedpur. Sources said that his condition is said to be stable.A quick response team (QRT) along with forest guards have been tasked with bringing the elephants back to Purulia, the official said.Kamal Chand was handed a compensation of Rs 1 lakh to perform the last rites of his wife and daughter. “Once the legal formalities are completed, the family will be given an ex-gratia amount of Rs 8 lakh,” Kumar said.On April 11, a 55-year-old villager was crushed to death by an adult elephant in Saprup village under Tiruldih police station area. On December 28 last year, a 50-year-old man was killed in an elephant attack under Kukru police station area, while on October 17, 2024, a 34-year-old villager was crushed by an elephant under Chandil police station area.