Post News Network
Bantala, April 23: Two persons including a woman of Nuakheta village under Bantala police limits in Angul district were killed in a tusker attack while they were collecting fallen mangoes in an orchard Thursday.
The victims were Dillip Pradhan(40) and Kadali Moharana (40). While Moharana died on the spot, Pradhan was rushed in a critical condition to the district headquarter hospital where doctors declared him dead on arrival.
The incident led to tension in the village as irate villagers ransacked the forest guard camp and the forest gate at Kanighai as the forest officials did not reach the village despite being informed. They damaged the VHF set and furniture of the forest office.
Later, ranger Girish Chandra Panda, deputy ranger Gajendra Behera and forest officials of Raiguda forest range reached the spot but were detained by villagers demanding compensation for the bereaved families. DFO Godabarish Panda, ACF JP Singh and Bantala IIC Nirmala Gochhayat also reached the spot.
They gave the villagers a written assurance of `3lakh relief for each bereaved family and `10,000 for the last rites of the deceased. Following this, the detained officials were released. Police registered a case.
About 20 villagers had gone to two mango orchards in Andhari Nullah and Ghurudipada where mangoes had fallen to the ground during Wednesday’s thunderstorm.
The tusker strayed into the orchard and trampled Moharana and Pradhan to death while others managed
escape.
