Post News Network
Berhampur, March 19: A 70-year-old man was trampled to death by a herd of elephants Thursday at Dhepapalli village, about 80 km from here, in Ganjam district, officials said.
Victim Kasi Nath Patra came face-to-face with the wild elephants when the herd was passing through a stretch under Sorada forest range, said divisional forest officer, Ghumusar South, RK Mallick.
Patra was going to catch a bus to Sorada when he was trampled by the pachyderms. The herd also damaged crops in the area while passing through agriculture fields.
The DFO said the kin of the deceased would be compensated Rs 3 lakh as per the government policy after getting the post-mortem report.
This was the third death in the district caused by the elephants in the last fortnight. Two persons had died when a wild tusker had trampled them at Dolaba village, near Digapahandi, about 40 km from here March 4.
The DFO said the herd of nine elephants was moving in Sorada jungles in search of food and water. The herd might have migrated from Lakhari Valley elephant reserve to the area in search of food, said forest range officer, Sorada, KC Sahu.
A 10-member squad was deployed in the area along with other forest staffs to track the movement of the animals.
The forest department officials have also created awareness asking people not to venture into the jungles when jumbos are around.
“We have intimated the local people about the movement of the elephants as a precaution,” the range officer said.
Meanwhile, a belated report from Karanjia in Mayurbhanj district said an elephant killed a youth Banamali Nayak (18) of Miriginendi near Sialinai reserve forest March 17.
Banamali was carrying his relative sister-in-law Tiki on a bicycle when the elephant attacked them. They fell on the ground and the elephant trampled Banamali to death. Tiki, however, managed to escape. Villagers found his body the next day. Police registered a case of unnatural death.
