Angul: At least two persons, including a woman, were trampled to death by elephants in separate incidents in Chhendipada and Kaniha forest range areas in Odisha’s Angul district on Wednesday, police said.
In the first incident, a 48-year-old woman Mandodari Sahoo was killed by a tusker at the Deogarh-Chhendipada range border around 8 am on Wednesday.
Sahoo was a resident of Baghuabol village under the jurisdiction of Bagedia police station.
Forest officials said Mandodari had gone to her paddy field in the morning riding her motorcycle.
An elephant herd was crossing the road when she was returning home. She stopped the two-wheeler to let the herd cross the road but she was unaware that one tusker was yet to cross it.
With an impression that the herd had crossed, she continued with her journey back home. At that moment the tusker came out from the bushes, attacked and killed her.
The residents of Baghuabol village blamed forest officials for the death. They demanded solar fencing and trenches to avoid such types of incidents.
Forest Range Officer S Mohapatra went to the village and pacified the agitating villagers assuring them due compensation to the deceased family.
In another incident, in Kaniha range, a 60-year-old man, Brindaban Sahoo, a resident of village Boudabeda, was killed by a tusker while he was going to a nearby market early in the morning.
Sahoo too had come across a tusker on the way.
The tusker was part of a herd which was crossing NH-53 at Mahabasunala.
The villagers captured forest ranger Ranger Nilamani Dehury and held him captive for some time after the incident. Later he was rescued by the personnel of the Kaniha police station.
