Dhenkanal: A day after an elderly woman was trampled to death at Khalibahal in Kandarasinha panchayat under Mahabirod forest range in Dhenkanal forest division by a tusker, a farmer sustained serious injuries after he was attacked by the same elephant Tuesday morning.
The victim, identified as Biswajit Mangal, is the son of Bijan Bal Mangal of Damol under Dihadol forest section of Mahabirod forest range under Dhenkanal forest division.
Sources said, the incident occurred while Mangal was on his way to farmland to harvest paddy. He came face to face with a tusker that had strayed into paddy fields to feed on the crop. The pachyderm lifted him with its trunk and crushed him to the ground.
Luckily, some farmers working in nearby fields, heard his screams and came to his rescue. The farmers drove away the tusker and rushed Mangal to Talcher government hospital.
On information, forest officials reached the hospital and inquired about Mangal’s health. On the orders of DFO, forest guard Prahalad Pradhan provided Rs 5,000 for Mangal’s treatment.
Notably, the tusker had killed a woman Monday. Nirupama Biswal had gone on a morning walk at around 5.45 am when she came face to face with the elephant. She tried to escape but the tusker picked her with its trunk and battered her against a tree. The woman died on the spot.
Nirupama’s husband went on a frantic search only to find her body lying on the roadside.
The incident led to outrage in the locality as locals feared for their children who go to school on the same road. They demanded that the forest officials drive the tusker away into the wild before it claims more lives.
PNN