Sambalpur: A 53-year-old woman was killed by a tusker when she was setting her cattle free to save them from an elephant attack in Sangapashi village in Deogarh district early on Tuesday. The deceased was identified as Kuni Behera.
Sources said two elephants were entering the village and wreaking havoc for the past couple of days. They also entered her farm and started eating corn. Kuni, who woke up after listening to the sounds of villagers trying to drive away the elephants, went to the backyard to release her cattle unaware that they had entered the farm. A tusker suddenly charged at her and dashed her to the ground.
After getting information, forest officials reached the spot to drive away the elephants and shifted Kuni to a hospital in Angul. However, doctors declared her brought dead.
Following the death, villagers blocked the road, keeping the body for four hours, demanding street lights and ex gratia to the kin of the deceased.
Niranjan Dharua, ranger of Reamal, told TOI, “We promised to install lights in the village to avoid such incidents due to darkness. Our staff immediately reached the spot. The woman failed to realise the elephants were in her corn farm. After verification, documents will be submitted for receiving govt compensation of Rs 6 lakh.”
One elephant had killed a man in Angul earlier, sources said.