Post News Network
Karanjia, Oct 21: Two children were rendered critical after a wall of their house caved in on them following an attack by a herd of marauding elephants at Indrasahi in Ghosada village under this forest division in Mayurbhanj district in the wee hours of Wednesday.
A woman identified as Rajeshwari Naik (35), wife of Mantribar Naik, sustained minor injuries while her two children — daughter Subhadra Naik (9) and son Niranjan Naik (7) — suffered critical injuries in the incident. The siblings are both students of Ghosada Primary School and study in Class-III and Class-II respectively.
The incident occurred after a jumbo herd comprising 18 elephants strayed into Ghosada village following the death of a calf in Raruan region at 3.30am. Incensed at the calf’s death, the herd went on a rampage and pulled down the house of Naik which collapsed on his wife and his two children while they were asleep. Naik however escaped unhurt.
Family members rescued the trapped victims and rushed them in a 108-ambulance to Karanjia hospital. Doctors at the hospital administered first aid and shifted the siblings to Keonjhar headquarters hospital upon examining their condition. The incident triggered tension among the villagers as the siblings were left writhing in pain from morning with no ambulance turning up to carry them to hospital.
Protesting the delay in ambulance service, locals blocked National Highway-49 for two hours leading to disruption of traffic on the route. They alleged that the 108 ambulance service had never come to their help in time despite making several calls to the control room.
They relented after Karanjia sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) Ramesh Parida
accompanied by his subordinates and local youths reached the spot and intervened. No forest officials were at the spot despite being informed. Later, forest officials gave away Rs 12,000 to Karanjia hospital authorities for treatment of the victims with a promise to bear any additional expenses that would be incurred in the course of the minors’ treatment.