Boy trampled to death by wild elephant in Odisha

A 10-year-old boy was trampled to death by a wild elephant at a village in Odisha's Sundargarh district, a forest official said.

The incident happened at Amurudi village under the jurisdiction of K Balang police station late last night when the boy was sleeping in his house and the jumbo barged in after pulling down the mud wall, he said.

The deceased, identified as Biswanath Munda, came face to face with the pachyderm which trampled him, while his mother and younger brother managed to escape, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Rourkela, Sanjay Swain, said.

The elephant had stormed the village after getting separated from a herd of about seven jumbos and the incident occurred when the villagers were trying to drive it away, the official said.

The DFO said that the family has been given Rs 20,000 immediately and another Rs 3.8 lakh will be provided after completion of necessary formalities.

The family was also provided with polythene sheet to cover the damaged portion of the house and another Rs 2,000 to repair the house, he said.