Commuters on the Chhendipada-Jarapada road under the Chhendipada Forest Range in Angul district were panicked when a wild elephant came out of nowhere and went on a rampage on the highway on Friday morning.
Vehicular movements on the road came to a grinding halt for around two hours after the tusker, which strayed out of the forest along the main road near Patugadia. The animal was seen chasing the commuters. In a video of the incident, the elephant can also be seen flipping a motorcycle, parked on the roadside by a reporter, who had gone there to cover the incident. The vehicle was partially damaged.
A huge crowd gathered on both sides of the road and screamed in a bid to drive away the elephant. Vehicular movements resumed when the jumbo went back into the forest.
According to reports, after being separated from a herd, the pachyderm has been straying into human habitation for the last two months. It was seen roaming in Talcher town two days ago. Meanwhile, locals expressed strong discontentment over the failure of forest officials in driving away the elephant.