Berhampur: Two persons were trampled to death by a wild tusker in Odisha’s Ganjam district Sunday, officials said.
The victims were identified as Urmila Rout (53) and Gopinath Pradhan (67), residents of Jalameripalli village in Digapahandi block.
The incident took place while they were working in their vegetable field, when the lone tusker, separated from its herd, suddenly attacked them.
“The elephant first attacked my wife when she tried to flee the spot. It then picked the man up by the trunk and tossed him up in the air,” Simanchal Rout said.
Local people rushed both of them to the nearest community health centre at Digapahandi, where the doctors declared them dead.
Paralakhemundi DFO Nagaraju K said the tusker had crossed the Ghodahada River in the Digapahandi range and entered Jalameripalli village.
After killing the two persons, it again returned to the Digapahandi range, he said.
The DFO said the movement of the elephant was being actively tracked by the staff of both Chandragiri and Digapahandi ranges under Paralakhemundi and Berhampur forest divisions, respectively.
The DFO said compensation under government provisions would be provided to the families of both deceased.
An initial amount of Rs 1 lakh each will be disbursed within 24 hours, with the remaining Rs 9 lakh to follow after completion of all formalities, including post-mortem examination.
The Ganjam district administration has also provided Rs 30,000 from the Red Cross to each family to conduct the last rites.