Two killed in separate jumbo attacks in Sundargarh

ROURKELA: Two persons were killed on Monday morning in separate elephant attacks in Rourkela Forest Division (RFD) and Bonai Forest Division (BFD) of Sundargarh district.

Sources in the RFD informed, a woman Sukramani Samati (69) was on Monday morning trampled to death by an elephant near Sonaparbat area on the outskirts of Rourkela city under Panposh forest range. The victim had gone to the forest fringe to collect minor forest product and was attacked by one elephant. During the incident, two adult female elephants and one calf was present at the spot, sources added. Tangarpali police sent the body for autopsy and the forest authorities provided Rs 20,000 immediately to the bereaved family for cremation.

In the other incident, one Samuel Munda (48) was killed by a wild elephant at Daldiha hamlet of Jhirpani village under Koida forest range of BFD.

Bonai divisional forest officer (DFO) Lalit Patra informed the deceased had gone to attend nature’s call when he was attacked and killed by an elephant around 5.30 am on Monday. Incidentally, around 13 persons have died in elephant attacks in past 16 months in the BFD limits alone with the Koida range accounting for most deaths.