Dhenkikote/Ghatagaon: A one-year-old girl child died in a wall collapse while three of her family members sustained critical injuries after a tusker pulled down their house after straying into Mendhamundi Sahi village under Santrapur panchayat and Ghatagaon forest range in Keonjhar district, late Thursday night. The tusker pulled down houses and fed on the paddy crops in the village. The deceased child was identified as Monalisha Munda, the second daughter of Rashmi, 28, and Daktar Munda, 28, of the village.
In the wall collapse, the deceased’s father, mother and elder sister Sonali, 6, sustained critical injuries and were admitted to the district headquarters hospital for treatment. Sources said the family members went to sleep after having their dinner at home, Thursday night. A tusker strayed into the village late at night and demolished their house after it smelled the presence of country brew ‘Handia’ inside the house. As a result, a wall of the house collapsed and fell on the family members. Hearing their screams, neighbours rushed to the spot, drove the animal away and rescued the family members from under the debris.
On being informed, forest officials led by Dhenkikote forester Chittaranjan Parida reached the spot and admitted the injured family members to the district headquarters hospital. There doctors conducted a check-up of the infant and pronounced her dead while the condition of the couple and their elder daughter undergoing treatment was critical. Ghatagaon forest ranger Prabhas Kuanr reached the hospital and gave away Rs 40,000 in financial assistance to the family members. Dhenkikote beat house police officer Taranisen Bag handed over the body to the family members after an autopsy.
A case was registered in this connection at Ghatagaon police station. The tusker was later learnt to have strayed into Raghubeda village and pulled down a mutt and the house of a tribal at Masinabila village. Forest ranger Kuanr said that Rs 40,000 ex-gratia was given away to the victim’s kin and the rest compensation of Rs 3.60 lakh will be transferred to the bank account of the head of the family after completion of necessary formalities. Meanwhile, 17 elephants were learnt to be present in areas under Ghatagaon forest range with forest officials keeping a close watch on their movements.