Balasore: A two-year-old boy died after an elephant herd demolished a house during a midnight raid in Kendukhunta village under Raibania police limits in Balasore district on Monday night. The victim, Rama Besra, one of the twin sons of the house owner, Uddhab Besra, sustained critical injuries after debris fell on him. He was immediately rushed to Hatigarh hospital, where doctors declared him dead.According to sources, a herd of around 30 elephants has been residing in a nearby forest for a long time. While the animals remain inside the forest during the day, they frequently stray into nearby villages at night in search of food, damaging houses and spreading panic among residents.The incident occurred late at night when an elephant attempted to access paddy stored inside the house of Uddhab Besra. As the family members were asleep, the animal broke part of the structure, causing a wall to collapse.Forest department officials reached the spot after being informed and drove the elephants back into the forest. However, the same elephant reportedly damaged a roadside cabin near Luhapada Chhak later in the night, raising fresh concerns over increasing human-elephant conflict in the region.
