Cuttack: Two persons, including a woman, died and three others were grievously injured in an elephant attack in Jagatpur area here late Tuesday night, an official said Wednesday. He also informed that a pachyderm had also died while trying to cross the Mahanadi river. City divisional forest officer (DFO) Ajit Satpathy said that Anand Behera and Kamala Nayak, both residents of Nazarpur slum in Pira Bazar area of Cuttack, were trampled to death by a female elephant that had strayed into the Jagatpur New Industry locality here. Satpathy said three elephants, including a calf, had come to Choudwar from Athagarh area. “As they were trying to cross the river, one of them got stuck at the Jobra barrage gate and subsequently died. While the calf managed to cross the river and strayed into Panda Sahi, the third animal—an adult female — entered Jagatpur New Industry area, where it unleashed terror,” the DFO informed. Anand, Kamala and three others had come out of their houses as they heard loud noises. The elephant charged them when they tried to drive away the wild animal.
All the five panicked and in their haste to flee tripped over one another and fell, making them easy prey for the marauding elephant. While Anand and Kamala died on the spot, three others sustained multiple injuries. They have been admitted to SCB Medical College and Hospital here. Their condition is stated to be critical, said a forest official, quoting SCB authorities. Forest officials have not been able to drive away the elephant till the time of filing of this report.
However, its movements have been restricted. Meanwhile, Forest officials recovered the carcass of the elephant that died after being stuck at Jobra barrage gate No-14. Forest officials buried the carcass on the Mahanadi riverbank in Jagatpur after conducting an autopsy at Nimpur. Officials said that it was an adult male elephant.