Nayagada/Ranpur: A 62-year-old woman was trampled to death by a tusker in Ostapada village under Jankia gram panchayat in Nayagada district early Wednesday, triggering protests over the alleged inaction of the Forest Department.
The deceased, identified as Pageli Jena, was worshipping a tulsi plant outside her house as part of Kartik month rituals when the elephant attacked her at around 4 am.
The tusker reportedly lifted her with its trunk and threw her onto the village road, killing her on the spot.
Villagers raised an alarm, forcing the elephant to leave.
However, Jena had already succumbed to her injuries.
The incident sparked anger among residents, who accused the Forest Department of failing to contain the elephant menace despite repeated attacks.
Forest officials, who reportedly arrived late, faced angry questions and protests from villagers.
The Ranpur tehsildar and police personnel from Chandpur police station later reached the spot and pacified the protesters.
The deceased’s family received Rs 10,000 from the Red Cross and Rs 1 lakh from the Forest Department.
The death marks the second fatal elephant attack on a woman in the Ranpur forest range in 12 days.
Earlier, a 41-year-old woman, Mamata Behera, was killed by a tusker behind a village club in Hariharpur under Mayurjhalia gram panchayat October 30.
Villagers alleged that the tusker had been moving through several villages, attacking people, and demanded urgent measures to prevent further casualties.
