Wild tusker attacks village; kills old woman

ROURKELA (Orissa): A wild tusker attacked Salbira village in Sundergarh district and trampled to death a 70-year-old widow, police said on Wednesday.

The elephant strayed into the village in Badgam block, about 90 kms from here, from a nearby jungle and started damaging houses yesterday.

The woman, identified as Sukamani Munda, failed to escape from the wrath of the wild tusker and was killed by it.

Other panic-stricken villagers, however, managed to run for safety to a nearby school building, police said.

Forest officials, led by range officer Gaurang Charan Sahoo, reached the village this morning to find the pachyderm and drive it back into the forests.

Forest officials suspect that the elephant, which had killed three persons in Subdega block earlier this month, might have entered into the village in search of food.