Seven Elephants Electrocuted From Power Supply Lines In Odisha While Searching For Food

In a tragic incident, seven elephants from a herd which had strayed into a village in Odisha in search of food were electrocuted after they came in contact with a power line.

The incident happened in Kamalanga village in Odisha’s Dhenkanal district Friday night.

The herd of 13 elephants were crossing the railway track at Kamalng were they came in contact with 11kv electric wire laid for a railway track construction.

According to villagers the electric wire was hanging loosely and the seven elephants which came into contact with it died immediately.

The dead elephants include a tusker and six females.?While three carcasses were lying on a road, four others were inside a canal.

Meanwhile the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests has issued a statement blaming the electricity department for the death of the 7 elephants.?

It stated that the forest department had told the energy department to direct the agency concerned to ensure that the electric wire was at a height of 17-18 feet above the ground.

Though elephant deaths are not rare in the state, this is said to be the highest number of fatalities in a single incident in Odisha.