Woman, 55, killed by tiger while working in field at Tadala in Chandrapur's Mul taluka

A woman was killed in a tiger attack on Wednesday afternoon in the Tadala area of Mul taluka in Chandrapur district. Fear and sharp anger have spread across the area after the incident.

The deceased has been identified as Sangita Pedukar, 55, a resident of Tadala. According to the information available, she was working in a field with other women at around 4.30 pm on Wednesday.

A tiger hiding in the dense bushes in the field suddenly pounced on her. The attack was so swift and sudden that Pedukar died on the spot. The other women working with her were badly shaken by the sight.

The women nevertheless showed presence of mind and immediately shouted for help. Frightened by the noise, the tiger fled the spot.

On receiving news of the incident, Savli Forest Range Officer Vinod Dhurve reached the spot with his team. Forest officials completed the necessary spot inspection and investigation. The body was then sent for a post-mortem examination to the sub-district hospital in Mul.

Dhurve said the Forest Department would give the victim's family immediate financial assistance of Rs 50,000.

Following the incident, the Forest Department has stepped up patrolling in the area. Villagers have been urged not to go alone or to isolated fields. Trap cameras and live cameras have also been installed in the area to identify the attacking tiger and monitor its movements.

With Pedukar's death, the number of people killed in human-wildlife conflict in Chandrapur district has risen to 39. She is the district's 39th victim of this conflict.