BERHAMPUR/PHULBANI: At least three persons were killed by a tusker in two separate attacks in Kandhamal district over the past two days.
The first incident took place on Friday in Gumikia forest near Petapanga village under Raikia block. Three villagers, Dhaneshwar Pradhan, Kirtan Bagarti (61) and Bamdev Pradhan (63), were returning from the forest when they suddenly encountered a tusker.
While Dhaneshwar managed to escape, the elephant trampled Bagarti and Bamdev to death. Their bodies have been sent for postmortem and further action will be taken based on the report.
The second incident occurred in the wee hours on Saturday in the Rajenbadi–Danipangi forest near Sindurgada under Paburia panchayat in Tikabali block, when a rogue elephant attacked a man. The deceased was identified as Durit Pradhan (25), a resident of Tikabali area. He had gone into the forest around 4 am when the elephant attacked him.
Assistant conservator of forests (ACF) Swetaleena Sahu confirmed the three deaths and said forest officials had reached the sites and were closely monitoring the movement of elephants in the region. “Necessary measures would be taken following the autopsy reports,” she added.
Phulbani divisional forest officer (DFO) Pratap Kotapalli said the forest department has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh for the families of each victim. An immediate assistance of Rs 1 lakh will be provided, while the remaining Rs 9 lakh will be released later.
According to locals, a tusker that had separated from its herd has been roaming in the area for over three months. The elephant had reportedly trampled two people in the Tikabali area in December before being driven away.
Residents claim the tusker has again been sighted in nearby forests in recent days and is believed to be responsible for the latest attacks. Forest officials said two tuskers are currently moving in the region. Four teams have been deployed to track the elephants and drive them away from human settlements.
The forest department has also issued an advisory urging villagers not to venture into forest areas between 5 pm and 6 am until the situation is brought under control.