Rourkela: A tusker killed one person under the Birsa forest range on Monday night.

The body of the deceased, identified as Umesh Munda, 45, of Budhikani village in Birsa police limits, was found near a small stream on Tuesday morning.

Munda became the thirteenth victim of elephant attack in the district this year. "He was killed by a 10-year-old male tusker. Munda had been to the weekly haat at Jareikela must have come across the jumbo. We could only ascertain this from the elephant's hoof marks near the spot, where the body was found," said assistant conservator of forest Ajay Sahu.

He said: "A herd was being chased early in the evening. Before killing Munda, it barged into an anganwadi centre and broke its wall and destroyed three houses."

"In a herd it is always the senior most female elephant, which leads the group and directs others. Fortunately, under the Birsa range the number of jackfruit-bearing trees have come down, else they would have made our life miserable," said Sahu.

The female leading the herd had earlier killed some people. "The female elephant is responsible for the earlier killings here and in the ranges of Nuagaon and Kuanrmunda," he said. "To tranquillise it, we require the permission of the chief conservator of forest and wildlife. We will write to him for his permission, and once it is allowed, we will do the needful and transfer these animals to other areas, where the elephant population is less."

Munda's family received 15,000 in cash to perform his last rites. His family will receive Rs 4 lakh, officials said.