Bantala: A woman and her eight-year-old daughter were killed in an elephant attack while returning home after watching a Danda Nacha performance late Thursday night in Angul district.
The father narrowly escaped. The incident occurred near an orchard at the entrance of Madhupur village under the Bantala forest range. The deceased have been identified as Pankajini Pradhan, 36, and her daughter Pushpa Pradhan, 8.
Kashia Dehuri, a native of Kantapada village under Thakurgarh police limits, had been living with his family in Pokatunga village under Nandapur panchayat for the past two years, where he and his wife worked as labourers.
The family went to nearby Madhupur to watch a Danda Nacha performance Thursday night. Around midnight, as they began their return journey, locals warned them about elephant movement and advised them to wait until morning.
However, they proceeded and encountered an elephant near the village outskirts. The animal attacked, trampling Pankajini and Pushpa to death on the spot, while Dehuri managed to escape and alert the villagers. Ranger Prasanna Kumar Sahu, Forester Srinivas Sahu, along with staff and Gaja Sathis, reached the spot after being informed.
Police recovered the bodies and sent them for post-mortem. Villagers alleged a lack of timely alerts on elephant movement, but Ranger Sahu said awareness drives are regularly conducted. Assistant Conservator of Forests Krushna Chandra Sahu met the family.
An immediate assistance of Rs 2 lakh has been provided, with the remaining compensation to follow.
