Berhampur: A 34-year-old woman was brutally hacked to death and her minor daughter critically injured by unidentified miscreants at their residence near Berhampur in Odisha’s Ganjam district.

The deceased woman, identified as Gayatri Swain, was attacked late last night at her rented home in Sreema Nagar under Nimakhandi police limits. Initial reports suggest Gayatri and her 11-year-old daughter were alone at the time, as her husband works in Bhubaneswar.

According to police, the assailants stormed into the house after dinner and attacked the duo with a sword. Gayatri died on the spot, while her daughter was rushed to the MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur, where she remains in critical condition.

Police have launched an investigation to identify the attackers and determine the motive behind the brutal assault.