Tragedy: 4 killed in tusker attack in Odisha’s Angul district

By Sanghamitra Pradhan

Angul, Jan. 7: A stray tusker on Saturday went on a rampage and killed as many as four persons in Odisha’s Angul district. The victims belonged to four different villages in the district.

The incident spread outrage in the area. The angry locals blamed the forest department for the deaths and alleged “sheer negligence.”

“The forest department miserably failed to trace the whereabouts of the marauding tusker which has led to such unfortunate deaths. Had they warned the people and told about its movements, the lives of all the four could have been saved,” a local alleged.

According to sources, the tusker, believed to be separated from its herd, has been wandering in the area. However, villagers were unaware as no forest officials had reached out to the village and made any announcement in this regard.

Reports said Subhash Biswal of Cheliapada village had gone to his agricultural field early on Saturday morning to check on his crops with his brothers. All of a sudden, the tusker appeared from nowhere and attacked them all. While his brothers managed to escape, Subhash was trampled to death by the tusker.

Soon after, the tusker strayed into nearby Angarbandh, Barasingha and Santri villages and killed one person each from the three villages, taking the tally to four.

“This is the first such incident in our villages. No elephant or tusker had ever strayed into the villages. This is the first time. Had the forest department made any announcement in this regard, the villagers would have been careful. So, we hold the forest department responsible for the deaths,” said another villager.

“The tusker is on a killing spree. But, the forest officials have failed to track the movements of the tusker and drive it away from human habitation. Now, the forest department is promising to give jobs to the kin of the victims and compensation of Rs 4L. If such negligence continues, there will be many more deaths. They are on duty, but they do not know the movement of the tusker,” alleged Gokul Chandra Naik, a resident of Angul.

The locals demanded Rs 15 lakh each compensation for the kin of the deceased.