Sambalpur: An elderly man was trampled to death by wild elephants at Harkumuda forest under Padiabahal Forest Range in Sambalpur on Friday morning.
The deceased has been identified as Niranjan Pradhan (65) of Balanda at Nuambarangamal village. He had gone to pluck kendu leave in the forest at 8 am but did not return.
Fearing some mishap, the villagers went looking for him in the nearby forest at 12 o’clock and found Niranjan’s dead body near the check dam of Harkumuda forest.
Later, after informing the local Jujomura police, the cops reached the spot and investigated the matter. After finding out from the preliminary investigation that the elderly man died in an elephant attack, the forest department seized the body and sent it to Burla for post-mortem at 7 pm.
The family sources said that the funeral will be held tomorrow after the body is handed over to the family post autopsy.
