In two separate elephant attack incidents in Sundargarh district in wee hours on Wednesday, two persons, including a five-year-old girl died. The deceased girl’s mother is also critical and has been sent to the Burla MCH for treatment.
Sources said, Rajesh Bada, resides with his wife Shanti and daughter Barsa(5) at Timna village under Bargaon forest range under Sundargarh forest division. A 15 member elephant herd have been camping in Panchara reserve forest near Timna village. Bargaon forest range officials have been camping in Timna village to watch the movement of elephant herd and to prevent any untoward incident.
On Wednesday wee hours, while Rajesh Bada, his wife Shanti and their daughter Barsa (5) were sleeping in their house at Timna village under Bargaon forest range, an elephant herd demolished the wall of their house. As a result, the broken wall fell on the five- year-old Barsa and her mother Shanti. They were sent to hospital with critical injury. However, doctors at the hospital declared Barsa as brought dead. Shanti was shifted to the Burla MCH for treatment.
On Wednesday, afternoon, the post-mortem of deceased Barsa was done and her body was handed over to her father. Sundargarh forest division gave `10,000 ex-gratia for her funeral expenses. Bargaon forest range officials are now keeping watch on the 15-member elephant herd. Sundargarh forest division has also called a squad from Jharkhand to drive away the herd to the Jharkhand forest.
In another incident in wee hours on Wednesday, a 25- year-old youth died after an elephant herd crushed him to death in Kacharu forest section under Kuanrmunda forest range under Rourkela forest division. The deceased was identified as leonish Samarta (25) of Jharbeda Pahadtoli village under Kacharu forest section. A six-member elephant herd from Jharbeda forest entered to Pahadtoli village, when the forest officials along with some villagers were driving them away. leonish along with two other villagers was trying to drive away the elephants when two tuskers attacked the chasers. While other villagers fled the spot, leonish fell inside mud following which the elephants crushed him to death there.