BARIPADA: Employee of a country-liquor manufacturing unit was trampled to death by an elephant at Manchabandha in Baripada territorial division on Sunday night. The deceased was identified as Dhiraj Kumar Singh (30), a resident of Kamar Misir village within Risiap police station in Bihar’s Aurangabad district.
Sources said a herd of 14 elephants entered Manchabandha reserve forest in the night in search of food. Attracted by the smell of fermented mahua, the elephants tried to enter the liquor factory and broke a portion of the unit’s wall. Singh, who was sleeping inside, was attacked by an elephant.
Range officer LD Behera said forest personnel, who were keeping a watch on the movement of the herd, heard Singh’s screams and reached the liquor making unit. They found the employee seriously injured and rushed him to Pandit Raghunath Murmu Medical College and Hospital, Baripada where the doctor declared him dead.
Police seized the body and sent it for postmortem. The Forest department will provide a compensation of Rs 4 lakh to Singh’s family. Currently, the elephant herd is moving inside Sankhabhanga reserve forest, Behera added.