Baripada: Tension prevailed after another woman died in tusker attack, taking the toll to four in three days in Odisha's Mayurbhanj district. The incident took place in Baripada range within Betnoti police limits in the wee hours on Thursday.

The deceased, identified as Manaka Hansda (35), wife of Sitaram Hansda of Radhakasol village, was sleeping with her husband on the verandah when the tusker dragged her out of the house and trampled her to death. 

As per reports, a lone tusker had entered the area from West Bengal three days back and wrecked havoc attacking locals. As two persons had already died and three others sustained critical injuries in last three days, forest personnel had warned locals not to venture out of the house considering the possibility of similar mishaps. 

On Wednesday night, the same tusker roaming in the Betnoti range area crossed NH 18 and entered the village at around 3 am. It first broke down three or four houses in the village and then dragged Manaka who was sleeping on the  verandah with her husband. While she was trampledto death, Sitaram had a narrow escape. 

In the morning, Krishnachandrapur Police Outpost In Charge reached the spot, seized the body and sent it to Baripada District Head Hospital for autopsy.

Two days back, two persons were killed and three others sustained injuries in elephant attack in three separate places in Betnoti, Deuli and Rasgovindpur areas of the district. 

The deceased were Sakra Hembram (59) of Uludihi village under Rasgovindpur range and Raghunath Hembram (55) of Sunpuria village under Deuli range. Both were trampled by tuskers while they were sleeping in respective verandahs outside their homes.

The injured victims, Sanga Mohanta of Uludihi, Sarbeswar Mohanta of Tadki village and Ruchika Soren of Pokharia village were admitted in a critical condition to Pandit Raghunath Murmu Medical College and Hospital at Baripada. One of them succumbed during treatment on Wednesday night. 

Official sources said ex-gratia will be given to family members of deceased as per government norms.

Meanwhile, locals have stepped up agitation accusing the forest department of negligence in minimising human-animal conflict as loss to property and life continued due to elephant attacks.