Elephants stray into Rourkela city, damage houses

Rourkela: Panic gripped Sona Udyan area of Rourkela city on Thursday when a herd of seven elephants strayed into the steel city and stayed put in the area after damaging six houses and three boundary walls.

An eyewitness said, “The herd of elephants might have entered the city at midnight. We tried to send them back twice but failed. They have stayed put in the Udyan.”

“Though people in the area are in a state of panic, no forest staff has reached here so far,” another local complained.

A woman resident stated, “The elephants damaged the boundary wall of our house last night. We stayed awake all night.”

The locals are in a state of horror fearing that wild elephants might enter their houses if they are not sent back immediately.