2 killed, 1 injured in Bantala tusker attack

Angul: Two persons, including one woman, were trampled to death and another was seriously injured by a tusker under Bantala range on Thursday morning. The deceased was identified as Shankar Biswal (65) and Jhili Majhi (38) of Pateli village. The injured, Akshya Nayak, belongs to the nearby Saharagada village. The tusker entered Pateli village around 5:30 am. It first attacked and killed Jhili, who was standing in front of her house. It then killed Shankar, who was returning after attending nature’s call, said forest department sources.Then the tusker moved towards Saharagada reserve forest and attacked Akshya Nayak, critically injuring him. He is admitted to Angul district headquarters hospital. Residents of Saharagada village staged a blockade on Thursday demanding proper compensation for the injured and steps be taken to tackle elephant menace in the area.