The body of the jumbo was found in the Padiabahal forest range of Sambalpur district. Telegraph picture

Bhubaneswar, Aug. 1: Wild elephants have killed four persons in two separate incidents in Mayurbhanj and Sundargarh districts, respectively, during the last 24 hours.

While a herd of elephants killed an elderly couple in Panposh range area in Sundargarh district last night, a tusker has killed two minor siblings and injured two other persons after he crushed a mud house in Mayurbhanj last night.

In Mayurbhanj, the incident took place in Chandanpur village under Rasgobindapur forest range. The deceased siblings have been identified as Rukmuni Murmu, 12, and her eight-year-old brother Phagu Murmu. They were the children of Ramachandra Murmu.

Confirming the two deaths, Baripada divisional forest officer Sanjay Swain said: “One of the walls of the mud house caved in when a tusker gave it a blow.”

The injured persons — Dulei Murmu, 40, wife of Ramchandra and his five-year-old daughter Chempa — were admitted to Baripada district headquarters hospital.

With these casualties, within the last two weeks, the death toll caused by the pachyderms in Mayurbhanj has gone up to seven. Earlier, a marauding tusker had killed five persons in different places.

In Sundargarh, Danda Dhanwar, 60, and his wife Saniaro Dhanwar, 55, residents of Ergeda village under Lathikata tehsil, were asleep in their house when a herd of pachyderms attacked it. The wall collapsed and fell on the elderly couple and they got crushed under it.

While forest department officials found the old man lying dead at the spot, they rushed the woman, who was writhing in pain, to the nearby hospital in their van. However, she was declared brought dead in the hospital.

The couple had four daughters, who were all married. Forest officials said that the family members would be provided with Rs 3 lakh for each death according to the state government’s decision.

In another related development in Sambalpur, forest officials arrested three persons in connection with the poaching of an elephant. The officials had recovered the body of the tusker aged around 25 years in Sanbandi reserve forest near Dudkakud village of the district on July 25. The tusks of the elephant were missing.

Acting on a tip off, forest officials arrested Jogesh Lugun, Motilal Munda and Bipin Kumar Barua and seized country made pistol, cash of Rs 72,000 and two axes from their possession. The accused trio were sent to jail after their bail pleas were rejected by a local court today.

“They have confessed to their involvement in the incident during the interrogation,” said Padiabahal forest range officer Anil Mohanty.

On the other hand, carcass of another elephant was found at Kandrapat forest of Meghpal area of the district today. The forest official, however, said that the reason behind the death could be ascertained after the autopsy.