Dhenkanal: An 8-yearold girl was killed when a wild elephant broke into her house and trampled her in her sleep at Handiphuta village under Motanga police limits in Dhenkanal district, late Wednesday night. The victim was identified as Priyanka Nayak alias Pihu, daughter of Pramod Nayak in the village. Her parents narrowly escaped death in the attack, sources said.
The incident sparked tension in the area as locals and family members of the deceased staged a road blockade at Handiphuta on Gudiakateni-Hindol Road from 7am to 6pm, Thursday. Protesters demanded compensation, a new house for the bereaved family, electrification of the village, and immediate measures to drive away elephants from the area. The blockade caused heavy traffic congestion, leaving numerous vehicles stranded on both sides of the road. Hindol Tehsildar Dilip Kumar Sethi, BDO Kalyan Saurabh Das, SDPO Nalita Modi, Forest Ranger Gautam Pradhan, and Motanga police station In-Charge Jitendra Mallik reached the scene and convinced the protesters to withdraw the blockade. The girl’s body was later sent for post-mortem, and an unnatural death case (1/25) was registered at Motanga police station. Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Dhenkanal, Sumit Kumar Kar said that the deceased’s family would receive Rs 6 lakh compensation as per norms. An initial 10 per cent payment would be made within 24 hours, while efforts are underway for electrification of the village, he said. A total of 48 elephants are currently holed up in the affected region, and Forest officials have started efforts to drive them away.
