Two persons, including a teenage girl, were trampled to death and 10 others injured after being attacked by tuskers in separate incidents in Mayurbhanj district.
At least three wild elephants, believed to have come from the Dalma elephant sanctuary in Jharkhand, had entered Mayurbhanj district through West Bengal forests, Baripada DFO Sanjay Swain said.
One of the elephants killed Class 7 girl student Ambika Jena at Gambharia under the Badasahi police station and injured a 60-year-old man.
Another jumbo entered into the Baripada municipal area on Sunday and chased morning walkers causing injury to 10 persons including six women, three of them seriously.
While Susan Biotha (65) succumbed to his injuries at the District Headquarters Hospital, the two other critically injured were sent to the SCB Medical College Hospital, Cuttack.
The tuskers were now spotted roaming in Radhikasala Sal forests, about eight km from here, and efforts are on to drive them away from the area. However, incessant rains since morning was an impediment in carrying out the operation, he said.
The family of the deceased were provided `10,000 each for funeral and ex-gratia payments would be made by the state government to the next of kin of those killed and also to the injured, he said.
Meanwhile, state Minister for Sport and Youth Affairs Sudam Marandi visited the hospital here and assured that treatment expenses of the injured would be borne by the State Government.