Berhampur: A 60-year-old man was trampled to death by a herd of wild elephants which created havoc in Odisha’s Ganjam district Thursday after losing a tusker three days ago, Forest officials said Thursday.
The herd, consisting of six females and one calf, also destroyed standing crops of the nearby villages at Buguda forest range, the officials said.
The tusker of the herd died after coming in contact with a live wire near Lathiguda village under central forest range in Ghumsur North division on Monday, they said.
The herd came to the Kumarsuni reserve forest area in Ghumusar South on Wednesday, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Satya Narayan Behura said.
The deceased was identified as Banchhanidhi Sethi. A woman was also injured and was under treatment at the Bhanjanagar sub-divisional hospital.
People have been advised not to venture near the jumbo or try to tease the animals. The family of the deceased will get an ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh, the DFO said.
A forester and a forest guard were suspended for alleged negligence of duty as they did not report the tracking of the elephant movements on that day, Ghumsur North DFO AK Dalai said.
PTI