Joda: A 20-year-old girl was trampled to death by an elephant Thursday at a jungle near Gurutuan village under Champua forest range in Keonjhar district. The deceased was identified as Somabari Munda, a native of the same village under Jajang panchayat. She was on her way to her maternal grandfather’s house using a road through the jungle when she came face to face with an elephant herd. One of the elephants attacked her and trampled her to death on the spot.
Officials from Bamebari police station and Forest Department staff reached the spot and launched an investigation after sending her body for postmortem. Bamebari IIC Dipti Ranjan Sahu confirmed the development as death due to an elephant attack. A case of unnatural death has been registered at the police station. Forest department staff have driven back the herd into the forest, officials informed.