Elephant menace: Elderly man crushed to death, couple critically-injured in Odisha

Sundargarh: Panic gripped residents of several villages under Sundargarh Sadar Forest Range after an elderly person was killed while a couple suffered grievous injuries in elephant attack at two separate places last night.

According to reports, an elderly man of Kotingidihi village was crushed to death by a jumbo when he was sleeping inside a Mandap last night. The deceased has been identified as Sankara Tanti. The jumbo broke into the Mandap and crushed him to death.

Later, the elephant attacked a couple of Hamirpur village injuring them critically. Reportedly, one Kumoromoni Sahu and his wife Padmini were sleeping, when the jumbo attacked their house. When the duo tried to flee, the pachyderm attacked them. The couple was rushed to a nearby hospital and later shifted to Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (VIMSAR) in Burla after their conditions deteriorated.

After attacking the couple, the jumbo further moved to Hatupani village and damaged many houses, walls of a school. The pachyderm also devoured Mid-Day Meal (MDM) rice kept inside the school.

“The elephant has come from Jharkand. Our officials have kept a track on its movement. Steps are afoot to ensure safety of the villagers. We will capture elephant soon,” said Range Officer Runendra Kumar Swain.