Bhubaneswar, August 14: A pregnant woman and her eight-year-old son tragically lost their lives on Tuesday, July 13, night when a wall collapsed after an elephant strayed into their home in Odisha’s Sundargarh district. Additionally, the woman’s three daughters sustained severe injuries in the collapse. Their father is in Bengaluru, and with their mother dead, the children have no one to care for them at the hospital.

According to a report by the Hindustan Times, the incident occurred late Tuesday night when a woman and her four young children were sleeping peacefully in their home. Unbeknownst to them, an elephant had wandered into their village, causing chaos and destruction. As the elephant rampaged through the area, it targeted their home, violently demolishing it. The sudden collapse of the structure left the woman and her children with no chance of escape, leading to their immediate and untimely deaths. The victims have been identified as Sukanti and her son, Sukhanath. Odisha: Wild Elephant Strays into Baripada Town of Mayurbhanj; Forest Officials Launch Rescue Operation (Watch Video).

Reportedly, the woman’s husband is a migrant worker in Bengaluru. The three injured children, who survived the devastating wall collapse, are currently undergoing treatment at Rourkela General Hospital (RGH). Their condition is critical, and they are receiving round-the-clock medical care to stabilise them. The situation is made even more tragic by the fact that their father is currently away in Bengaluru, leaving the children. With their mother tragically deceased and no immediate family present, the children are left alone in the hospital. Elephant Attack in Odisha: On-Duty Forest Ranger Trampled to Death by Wild Jumbo.

Statistics from the Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Climate Change reveal that between 2018–19 and 2022–23, at least 2,657 people in India lost their lives due to human-elephant conflicts. Of these, 542 fatalities (20.39%) occurred in Odisha.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 14, 2024 12:43 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).