Odisha youth tramped to death by elephant while taking selfie

Forest officials were trying to chase the elephant back to the herd when Ashok Bharti, who appeared to be drunk, came too close to the animal to take a selfie.

A youth in Odisha’s Rourkela was trampled to death by a wild elephant while trying to take a selfie with the animal on Saturday afternoon.

A file photo of an elephant inside Rajaji Tiger Reserve. In Odisha, the elephant had strayed out from a herd near Mandiakudar village of Kuanramunda forest range in Rourkela.

Ashok Bharti, who worked in private company was posing for a selfie with one of the elephants from a herd when the animal chased him for a few seconds before trampling him. The elephant had strayed out from a herd near Mandiakudar village of Kuanramunda forest range in Rourkela.

Assistant conservator of forests, Philip Sahu, said forest officials were trying to chase the elephant back to the herd when Bharti came too close to the animal to take a selfie. He appeared to be drunk, he said.

A severely injured Bharti was taken to a hospital, but doctors declared him dead.

Since July this year, a herd of elephants that is raiding the villages near Rourkela, has killed at least 3 people including a woman and her son.

In June,a man in Dhenkanal district was seriously injured by a wild elephant while trying to take a selfie with the tusker.