Two men were killed in separate wild elephant attacks in Jhenaigati upazila of Sherpur district on Tuesday night.

The victims were rickshaw-van puller Azizur Rahman Akash, 38, of Gandhigaon village, and autorickshaw driver Ephilice Hagidak, 52, of the Gojni area.

Locals tried to chase them away with sticks to protect their lives and property. 

Akash reportedly came too close to one of the elephants, which grabbed him with its trunk and trampled him. 

He was rushed to Jhenaigati Upazila Health Complex, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.

Later, at around 10:30pm, Ephilice was returning home with three others after completing his day’s work when their vehicle encountered an elephant herd blocking the road in the Gojni area. 

While the others managed to flee, Ephilice was caught by one of the elephants, which flung him with its trunk, killing him on the spot.

"Akash was already dead when he was brought in," said Dr Amiya Jyoti Saifullah, the on-duty physician at Jhenaigati Upazila Health Complex. “His face and abdomen had been crushed under the elephant’s feet.”

Jhenaigati police station Officer-in-Charge Md Al-Amin said two unnatural death cases were being prepared in connection with the incidents.