Kantabanji/Balangir: As cases of human-animal conflict continue to rise, a woman was killed while her husband and father in-law sustained critical injuries following a tusker attack in Odisha's Balangir district on Wednesday. The tragic incident took place late in the night in Sanabanki forest range which comes under Bangomunda forest range. 

The deceased woman was identified as Mandar Putel. 

As per reports, around 30 elephants have been roaming in Chatar Dandi jungle and Mahakhanda village within the forest range since last few days. Forest officials said the herd was wrecking havoc in nearby human settlements and had destroyed a lot of crops and properties in search of fodder. 

Villagers allege negligence by Forest Department

On Wednesday night, one of the pachyderms strayed into Sanabanki village. While roaming on the lookout for food, the jumbo entered Putel's house when the family was sleeping. When the members woke up hearing the noise and encountered the tusker, it attacked all three of them. While Putel was trampled and crushed leading to her death on the spot, her husband and her father in-law were seriously injuried while trying to resist the attack. 

On hearing noise, locals alerted Tureikela police and the Forest department after which the security personnel arrived at the spot and started investigation. 

Meanwhile, villagers raised a hue and cry about the rising risk to their lives and assets with increasing wildlife encounters in bordering areas. They demanded compensation for the aggrieved family and urged the Forest department to step up monitoring and patrolling measures in forest corridors. 

Also read: Odisha: Elderly woman dies in elephant attack while plucking flowers outside home in Rourkela