Child dies as 'monkey man' sparks panic |
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PATNA, India: A child was killed in a stampede by panic-stricken residents of an eastern Indian village trying to escape an elusive monkey-like creature which has been terrorising them for days, media reports said yesterday. The six-year-old boy was fatally injured on Monday when he fell off a roof during the panic, sparked by reports that the "monkey man" was near, the reports said. A woman fractured her arm in the stampede, which occurred in Lahlan village, 90km from Bihar state's capital Patna. Police could not confirm the incident but said they had received numerous reports from various parts of the state of a mysterious "ape-like creature" attacking people, a year after a similar scare gripped New Delhi. Some alleged the Bihar creature "jumps and sparkles with red and blue lights," while others described it as resembling a machine, operated by remote control. Residents of Khupri village, 40km west of Patna, reported sighting the "monkey-man" in the form of "a shining object" falling from the sky, a police spokesman said. The local police have issued a stern warning to people not to spread rumours about the "monkey-man." "We will take
strict action against anyone trying to spread rumours and causing panic
among the people," the police spokesman said. Portions of
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