Elephant kills two persons in Odisha

Two persons, including a woman, were killed after an elephant attacked them at Ichabatipur village in Odisha's Dhenkanal district today.
The incident happened under the jurisdiction of Tumusingha police station.
The victims when were plucking flowers near a temple in the village when the wild pachyderm attacked them, Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF), Maheswar Patnaik said.
The elephant first trampled Surendra Nayak (70) to death. It then lifted Patali Behera (55) with its trunk and threw her on the ground. She also died on the spot, the officer said.
Tension prevailed in the area after the incident.
Angry local residents staged a blockade on Pandua-Marthapur road.

They burnt tyres demanding adequate compensation to the family or families of the deceased.
They also demanded that proper steps should be taken to drive away the jumbo.
The road blockade was lifted after senior forest officials and police officers held a discussion with the protesters and promised prompt action.