Panic gripped Delanga and adjoining areas in Odisha’s Puri district following the death of four persons after they were attacked by a tusker on Sunday morning. Five persons sustained serious injuries.
The tusker had reportedly sneaked into Delanga area in search of paddy on Saturday morning.
The victims have been identified as Jugalkishore Bhatt, 60, Chaitan Sahu, 45, and Makar Palei, 65. The fourth person, who succumbed to injuries in the evening, was Ajay Kumar Nayak, 40.
A team has been formed to try to drive away the tusker to the nearest forest.
According to Wildlife Society of Orissa, there have been 195 encounters between humans and elephants this year that resulted in 113 deaths and 122 injuries.