4 die in tusker attacks in two days in Keonjhar, Sundargarh

Keonjhar/Rourkela: Panic gripped parts of Keonjhar and Sundargarh districts after four persons were killed in separate elephant attacks over the last two days highlighting rise in man-elephant conflict in the state.In Keonjhar district, two fatalities were reported from different forest divisions. A 55-year-old woman, Manjulata Nath, was trampled to death by a tusker on Saturday morning in ward no. 7 of Anandpur municipality under Anandpur wildlife division. She had gone to a mango orchard to collect fruits when the elephant suddenly emerged and attacked her. Eyewitnesses said the animal caught her with its trunk and flung her to the ground, killing her on the spot.The elephant had reportedly been moving through Fakirpur, Salabani and nearby villages since Friday night, damaging crops and vegetable gardens. When Nath did not return home, family members launched a search and later found her body in the orchard. Forest officials reached the spot, recovered the body with police assistance and sent it for post-mortem. DFO (Anandpur) Prashant Kumar Panda visited the area and assured compensation and assistance as per govt norms. Another woman, Yashoda Mallick, sustained injuries in the same incident and was Two more deaths were reported from Rourkela forest division in Sundargarh district. Jamuna Mohanata (66) of Saleidihi village under Banki range, was trampled to death on Saturday morning when she stepped out near her house. The tusker, reportedly separated from a herd, killed her before moving towards a nearby forest area. Similarly, Gloria Toppo (65) of Saunapada village under Kuanrmunda range, died in a tusker attack on Friday while collecting mahua seeds in a forest. Forest officials and police recovered both bodies and sent them for autopsy. In each case, the legal heirs are entitled to Rs 10 lakh compensation.Forest authorities intensified awareness measures, including miking in vulnerable villages, urging people to remain cautious about elephant movement. The locals in affected areas staged protests demanding compensation and preventive measures to curb the attacks.