Sambalpur: A man was trampled to death by an elephant in the Padiabahal forest area of Sambalpur district late Thursday night, in yet another case of human-elephant conflict.
The mutilated body of 38-year-old Purnachandra Dehury, a resident of Jamloi village, was found near Nuabandha in the early hours of Friday.
Sources say the incident occurred after villagers were alerted that a herd of wild elephants had strayed into the area and was damaging paddy fields. Dehury, along with other villagers, went to drive the elephants away but failed to return home that night. His family launched a frantic search, but he was not found. It was only the next morning that locals discovered his body and informed the Forest department.
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A team from the Padiabahal Forest office arrived to investigate but was met with anger from the villagers.
In a similar incident earlier this year, another man was killed by an elephant in Hatibari area.
Tension is on the rise in the area due to the increasing number of elephant-related fatalities in recent years. Villagers, particularly from Jujumura block, have expressed frustration over the recurring loss of lives in elephant attacks.
PNN
