Maputo, 15 Jan (AIM) – A herd of three elephants have killed a pregnant woman in Tenga region, Moamba district, in the southern Mozambican province of Maputo.
According to Rádio Moçambique, citing the permanent secretary of the Moamba District, Atanásio Mwito, the case occurred in the early hours of Saturday, when the victim, accompanied by an 18-year-old girl, left home in search of firewood in the nearby forest.
“During the attack, the pregnant woman was trampled by the elephants, resulting in forced labour at the time. The 18-year-old managed to escape and call for help in the residential area, after being seriously injured by the elephants”, Mwito said.
The victim was found lifeless by her husband, after he realized that she was no longer pregnant. He walked through the forest for around 20 minutes where he found the baby still alive.
However, Mwito explained that the newborn baby had been attacked by the elephants and lost its life while being transported to a health centre.
“The 18-year-old girl managed to escape home crying for help. She was bleeding and suffering from head injuries”, said Mwito.
Mwito said that he does not know where the elephants came from. Elephants are often seen roaming around various parts of the district.
“By the time we got there at around 14.00, the elephants were still there. None of the population dared to go and find the body for fear of an elephant attack”, he said.
He said he had gone to the scene with 16 police officers to remove the body.
He also called on communities to remain vigilant and to alert the authorities in good time whenever they see elephants.
(AIM)
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