BERHAMPUR: A 43-year-old man and his minor daughter suffered injuries after being attacked by an elephant in Ganjam’s Bhanjanagar area on Sunday.
The injured, Trilochan Mantri and his eight-year-old daughter Khusi of Sarapada, have been admitted to Bhanjanagar hospital.
Sources said after being separated from its herd, a tusker entered Sarapada village under Mujagada forest range and damaged a house. When stray dogs started barking, the elephant started to chase them. Hearing the commotion, the Mantri family came out of the house. While Trilochan and Khusi were trampled by the tusker, his wife narrowly escaped.
On hearing their screams, villagers reached the spot and chased away the elephant. The injured father-daughter duo was rushed to the local hospital.
Following the incident, forest staff have been deployed in the village. Ranger Bimbadhar Sahu said the investigation is underway and the victims would be compensated as per norms.
Sources in the Forest Department said a herd of 26 elephants is wreaking havoc in the area for the last more than a fortnight. Besides devouring crops on vast tracts of farmland, the jumbos have damaged over 10 houses and injured three persons so far.