�Bhubaneswar: Tragedy struck Mahatapalla village in Khurda district early Monday morning when a 14-year-old boy, Satya Martha, lost his life in a heroic attempt to save his mother from a wild elephant attack. His mother, Sulochana Martha, sustained critical injuries in the incident.
According to sources, Sulochana had gone to a nearby forested area at dawn when a tusker suddenly appeared and attacked her. Hearing her cries for help, Satya, who was physically challenged, rushed to her aid. Tragically, the elephant turned its aggression on the boy, fatally trampling him.
Despite her severe injuries, Sulochana managed to crawl into a nearby ditch, which prevented the elephant from pursuing her further. The tusker eventually retreated into the forest. Villagers later rescued her and rushed her to Khurda District Hospital. She was subsequently transferred to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Bhubaneswar for advanced treatment.
Jaykrushna Panda, Forest Range Officer of Khurda Wildlife Division, attributed the incident to an unforeseen encounter and assured the family of government support, including ex gratia compensation and medical expenses.
“Currently, 21 elephants are moving in and around the Bagheitangi area of Khurda district. Fourteen of them are primarily stationed near the site of the incident. Our team has been closely monitoring their movements with cameras. Unfortunately, while our staff were focused on one group, a tusker from another group attacked the woman and her son,” Panda explained.
The tragedy sparked outrage among the residents of Bagheitangi. Led by Prakash Samantaray, the local Khurda block vice-chairman, villagers held a protest march, criticizing forest officials for their alleged negligence in safeguarding the community.
“We have repeatedly informed the forest department about the presence of elephants near our village, but no action was taken. They failed to warn us about the herd's movements, and their lack of coordination has put our lives at constant risk,” Samantaray alleged.
The protestors have demanded adequate compensation for the grieving family and stronger measures to prevent such incidents in the future.�
