Accident Labourer Missing for 11 Days Found Trampled to Death by Elephant

[Georgealbert]

 

Picture courtesy of Amarin.

 

A labourer who had been missing for 11 days was discovered dead in the forest near his workplace, having been trampled by wild elephants.

 

At around 13:00 on 5 July, rescue workers from Sawang Katanyu Rescue Station at Pong Nam Ron were alerted by villagers to a body found deep in the forest of Village 2, Ban Wang Krapae, Thap Sai Subdistrict, near the foothills of Khao Som in Soi Khao Soi Dao, Chanthaburi.

 

Authorities including the Pong Nam Ron district chief, police investigators, forest rangers, and military officers arrived at the scene to investigate. Due to the presence of a large herd of wild elephants in the area, the team took precautions by firing cracker signals to warn the elephants of their approach and carefully positioning forest officials to monitor and protect the searchers.

 

The scene was marked by numerous elephant footprints surrounding the site. The body was badly mutilated; the head was missing, with only a clump of hair remaining, and a strong odour of decomposition was present, indicating the victim had been dead for approximately 11 days.

 

Locals identified the victim as Mr. Nadpong Jansila, about 20 years old, who worked as a garden labourer nearby. He lived in a small shelter within the garden about 500 metres from where his body was found.

 

According to villagers, Mr. Nadpong was believed to have been gathering kawaan plants near the garden edge when he encountered a herd of wild elephants. Attempting to flee, he ran into the forest but was likely unable to escape and was fatally trampled.

 

Before the discovery, his motorcycle was still parked and locked inside his shelter, raising suspicions among neighbours and his employer about his disappearance. Despite searches over several days, the victim remained missing until the grim discovery.

 

This event highlights ongoing risks faced by villagers living near wildlife habitats and the challenges of coexisting with wild elephant populations.

 

  Adapted by Asean Now from Amarin 2025-07-06