Baripada, April 23: The forest department is yet to rein a lone tusker that has killed two elderly persons at Karanjia in Mayurbhanj district since Sunday.

Nisamani Patra, 70, of Kenjhara village in Karanjia died on the spot after the elephant trampled him on Monday night. Nisamani was sleeping in his house and had stepped out on hearing noises when the tusker attacked him.

The rogue elephant had killed Hiramani Nayak, a 75-year-old woman of Chanchabani village, when she had gone to fetch dry leaves from the nearby forest. Kuna Nayak of the same village, however, survived the attack and is undergoing treatment at a local hospital. He has suffered multiple fractures.

To tackle the aggressive behaviour of the elephant, regional chief conservator of forest Anup Kumar Nayak said: “The divisional forest officer has been asked to take necessary steps with the help of local volunteers to prevent human casualties as well as injury to the animal.”

“The elephant might have turned aggressive for more than one reason. Efforts are on to identify and take appropriate steps,” he said.

“For the last two years, I have been seeing the tusker. This one loves to remain in solitude. Last year it had killed one person. This year it has killed two and injured one so far,” said divisional forest officer Asish Kumar Behera.

“We are keeping a close vigil on the animal and are trying to drive it out of human habitation. It was last seen taking bath in the Baitrani river near Bhimkund on Tuesday evening,” he said. The forest department provides Rs 2 lakh in compensation to the kin of those killed by an elephant and Rs 75,000 to victims with permanent disabilities.