The elephants entered Theldhala village in Dhubri district bordering Bangladesh, about 320 kilometers (200 miles) west of Assam’s main city of Guwahati Tuesday.

“The elephant herd went on the rampage tearing apart huts and then attacked sleeping villagers, killing four members of a family and seriously injuring two more,” said the official, who requested anonymity.

“At least six houses were also completely damaged by the rampaging herd. Probably the elephant herd came to the village looking for food.”

In the past fortnight, herds of wild elephants have been wreaking havoc in several parts of Assam to reach harvested rice stalks known as paddy. Many are fuelled by paint-peeling moonshine that villagers brew from fermented rice.

“For a stiff drink, elephants will blast through walls and after a hearty drink they go berserk, at times plundering granaries and tearing apart huts, besides inflicting fatal attacks on human beings,” said elephant expert and teacher at the College of Veterinary Science in Guwahati, Kushal Konwar Sharma.

Experts say wild elephants have been moving out of the jungles due to humans encroaching on animal corridors, leading to an increasing number of attacks on villages.

Villagers in the past would drive away marauding herds by beating drums or bursting firecrackers. Now some have taken to poisoning the animals.

In the last five years, elephants have killed at least 150 people in Assam, while angry villagers have killed up to 200 of the animals, some of which were brought down with poisoned-tipped arrows.

The last count in 1999 recorded 5,400 elephants in Assam, more than half of India’s estimated 10,000 wild elephants.