Man Crushed To Death By Wild Elephant In Balangir

Balangir: A wild elephant killed an old farmer close to the Khairguda village of the Kultapada Panchayat in the Balangir district of Odisha.

Machhu Mahananda, 64, of the Khairguda village has been identified as the deceased.

A herd of ten elephants has reportedly been roaming through the area for the past few days. On Monday night, the event took place when the deceased was securing his paddy field and warding off jumbos by drumming a traditional musical instrument.

The farmer was killed on the spot when the elephants suddenly emerged, and one of the wild animals attacked him.

Forest staff hurried over to the scene to assess the situation. According to the regulations, Rs 10,000 was given to the grieving family as immediate compensation, according to Keshab Kishore Nayak, the Balangir Forest Range Officer.

Balangir DFO Nitish Kumar called the event regrettable and pleaded with people not to impede elephant migration. Damage to crops or property will be adequately compensated in accordance with the law. According to him, the forest department is working round the clock to prevent such unfortunate situations.

As per reports, since 2009–10, an estimated 18 people have died in the district as a result of elephant attacks.