DHENKANAL: A 73-year-old farmer was brutally killed by an elephant in Hindol range on Friday evening.
The deceased was identified as Sudhakar Samal of Tangipal village under Mahalunda panchayat of Hindol forest range. Sudhakar had gone to his agricultural field on Friday evening, when a herd of about 40 elephants was at the nearby jungle. He reportedly came face-to-face with a tusker, which trampled him, following which he died. When he did not return from the field, villagers launched a search, but could not trace him.
His body was later found on Saturday morning, with his face smashed and hands and legs broken, near a jungle about 500 metre from the village. Forest officials reached the spot and confirmed the death was due to elephant attack.
Hindol SDPO Satya Nanda said the body has been sent for postmortem and registered an unnatural death case.
Angul circle RCCF Sanjay Kumar Swain said the victim’s family will receive Rs 10 lakh compensation.
“Keeping in view the situation, the department has initiated massive awareness campaigns, deployed round-the-clock squads, strengthened intelligence networks about elephant movement and is instilling fear among people about elephants,” he added.