2 killed, 1 injured in elephant attack

Two persons were killed and a woman was seriously injured in an attack by a wild elephant in Odisha's Keonjhar district today, officials said.
The incident occurred when the tusker attacked a group of villagers from Dalita who had gone to a forest area in the district to collect mushroom, Champua Forest Range Officer Sri Ramachandra Arabinda Mishra said.
While Paramananda Nayak (55) died on the spot, another person, Bichala Behera succumbed to his injuries while being taken to hospital, he said.
Surya Munda (22) was admitted to the district headquarter hospital where her condition was stated to be critical.

Agitated over the incident, local residents blocked Champua-Rimuli road demanding effective steps to deal with the "elephant menace".
After senior officials visited the spot and assured the agitators that adequate compensation would be provided to the victims' families in accordance with the government's rules, the blockaed was lifted.