Woman killed by wild elephant; husband & father-in-law critically injured

Balangir: A wild elephant killed a 34-year-old woman and critically injured her husband and father-in-law in Sanbanki village, under Bangomunda forest range in Balangir district, late on Wednesday night.The deceased was identified as Mandar Putel, who was living in a hut near her farmland located half a km from the village. The attack occurred while the victims were sleeping inside their hut. The woman died on the spot, while the two injured men were rushed to the district hospital. Their condition is now stable.Angry villagers gathered at the site, demanding immediate action from authorities to drive the herd away from human habitations.

Police and forest officials rushed to the spot to pacify the agitated crowd and assess the situation.Padmanava Kumbhar, the Bangomunda range officer, stated, “We are deeply saddened by the loss of life. Our teams are on high alert to monitor the herd’s movement.” He confirmed that compensation will be provided as per government norms, with Rs 1 lakh to be released within 24 hours and the total compensation of Rs 10 lakh to be disbursed after the documentation process is complete.

According to the villagers, the herd of around 30 elephants has been roaming the area for the past seven days, relentlessly searching for food and water. Their rampage has left a trail of destruction, damaging at least 20 houses and ravaging vast tracts of standing crops, pushing the terrified community to the brink.Forest officials noted that this is the villagers’ first encounter with wild elephants, leaving them unfamiliar with how to behave in such situations.

The forest department has launched an awareness campaign, along with regular warning announcements and patrolling in the area to prevent further incidents.According to officials, this herd had migrated from Bargarh district to Chhattisgarh through Bangomunda two years ago and has now returned via the same route. A forest officer added that the herd sometimes divides into two or three groups, making it difficult for patrolling teams to track them.