NEW DELHI — At least 20 people have been killed in a series of attacks by a wild elephant in the eastern India over the past nine days, with forest officials saying the animal has yet to be captured.

According to a BBC report, the fatalities occured between 1 and 9 January in the Chaibasa and Kolhan forest areas of Jharkhand.

Human-elephant conflict are frequent in the region, with officials and researchers linking it to shrinking forest cover, habitat fragmentation and increased human activity near elephant corridors.

A massive search operation involving more than 100 forest personnel is under way to locate the elephant, officials say.

"This is an unprecedented situation. It's the first time such a pattern of fatalities has been linked to a single male elephant in the region," said divisional forest officer Kuldeep Meena, adding that the entire area had been put on high alert to prevent further loss of life and property.

Their immediate priority, he said, was to trace, capture and safely return the animal into the wild.

District magistrate Chandan Kumar told the BBC that a forest worker is among the 20 people who have died. Authorites have announced monetary compensation for their families.

Most of the deaths occurred at night, when residents were guarding paddy stored in fields and barns - a common practice in rural India.

Forest officials said the elephant was young, agile and frequently changed its location, particularly at night, making it difficult to track. Teams have been using traditional drum alerts to warn residents and advising people not to go outdoors or sleep outside at night. — Agencies