Bargaon: A tusker Thursday night gored a 55-year-old man to death at Katangajharia village in Panchara panchayat under Bargaon forest range in Sundargarh district while a veterinary surgeon escaped certain death.
The deceased was identified as Laldeo Singh. According to reports, the villagers drove out a tusker that entered the village in the evening. After half an hour to this incident, Laldeo come out of his house to do some work presuming that the elephant has left the village. However, to his misfortune, the tusker suddenly appeared on the scene and attacked him with its tusk. Laldeo sustained multiple injuries and died on the spot.
A veterinary surgeon Durga Nayak of Machamara village came face to face with the same animal in the wee hours of Friday while he was going somewhere on his bike. He managed to escape by running from the spot abandoning his bike.
Similarly, Bhimsen Sa of Machamara village also had a narrow escape. He suddenly discovered the pachyderm behind him while he was reliving himself in the morning. Sa managed to flee from the spot.
Meanwhile, Bargaon ranger Bijay Kumar Mohapatra provided Rs 20,000 to the family of the deceased.
The villagers claimed that the tusker has turned hostile as it has lost about one ft of its trunk for some reason. The animal often kneels down to take food, they said.
PNN