Angul: In a tragic incident, a woman and her young daughter lost their lives after being attacked by a wild elephant in Madhupur village of Odisha's Angul district. The incident occurred while the family was returning home after watching the traditional Danda Nacha performance.

As per preliminary reports, Kashia Dehuri from Kantapada village, who works as a daily wage laborer in Poktunga village, had gone to Madhupur along with his wife Pankajini and their 7-year-old daughter Kush to witness the cultural event. After the event concluded, the family began their journey back home on foot. While they passed through a mango orchard on the outskirts of Madhupur village, the family was suddenly confronted by a wild elephant, believed to be part of a herd that frequently moves through the forest-fringe areas.

Before they could react or find a safe escape, the elephant charged at them. In the chaos that followed, Pankajini and her daughter Kush were caught in the attack. They succumed on the spot with fatal injuries. Kashia, in a desperate attempt to save himself, managed to flee the scene.

Locals flag safety concerns

Hearing the commotion, nearby villagers rushed to the area but were unable to intervene due to the presence of the elephant. Forest officials were later informed, and the bodies recovered.

The incident once again underscores the growing human-elephant conflict across the State particularly in districts like Angul where expanding human settlements and agricultural activities overlap with elephant corridors. Locals have often raised concerns over inadequate preventive measures and lack of timely alerts about elephant movements.

Also read: Rising human-elephant conflict in Odisha: 443 deaths in three years, massive damage to homes and crops