Bhubaneswar, December 15: Tragedy struck in Odisha's Sundargarh district as two young sisters lost their lives after a wild elephant attacked their home in Kantapalli village, located within the Tamada range of the Bonai forest division.
The victims, identified as 12-year-old Samiya Munda and her 3-year-old sister Chandni Munda, were asleep in their kuchcha house when the elephant brought down a portion of it during the attack. Amid the chaos, the adults managed to escape, but the girls, unable to wake up in time, were left behind and tragically trampled to death.
Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Lalit Patra confirmed the incident and stated that the elephant is a lone tusker likely separated from its herd. Despite the animal being equipped with a radio collar, tracking efforts have been hindered due to a lack of GSM network coverage in the area.
“We are monitoring the elephant closely as it continues to roam in the region,” said DFO Patra.
The Odisha government has assured financial compensation to the bereaved family. Forest officials are also working to prevent further incidents by closely tracking the movements of the elephant.
Such human-wildlife conflicts remain a significant concern in regions where expanding human habitation overlaps with elephant corridors.
