Country’s lone orangutan dies in Nandankanan

Bhubaneswar: Binny, the lone orangutan of the country, died due to old age-related diseases at the Nandankanan Zoological Park on Wednesday night. The 41-year-old orangutan was being treated for an infection in the neck by OUAT Veterinary doctors for the last two years. Binny had been brought to Nandankanan from Pune’s Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park on November 20, 2003.

Elephant tramples woman to death in Kalahandi

Bhawanipatna: A woman was trampled to death by an elephant near Terelo village under the Narla Forest Range in Kalahandi district on Thursday. Sapuri Barik had gone to the nearby forest to collect Mahula flower when the elephant killed her on the spot. Two persons of the village have lost their lives in elephant attacks recently.

Boy dies in bee attack in R’gada; 3 injured

Rayagada: A 12-year-old boy died and three others sustained severe injuries after they were attacked by a swarm of bees in the district on Thursday. The incident took place near Bheja village under the Mukundapur police station. The deceased was identified as Palaka Samba. He along with three others had gone to collect mangoes from a forest when they were attacked by the bees. They were immediately rushed to the District Headquarters Hospital where the boy was declared dead. The conditions of the others were stated to be critical.

Fire engulfs 20 rooms in Kendrapada

Kendrapada: Properties worth lakhs of rupees were destroyed as a fire engulfed 20 rooms at Jalakana village in the Mahakalpada area in Kendrapada district on Thursday. Four fire tenders from Mahakalpada and Marsaghai rushed to the village and extinguished the flames. The cause of fire was yet to be ascertained.

20 labourers rescued from R’gada rly station

Rayagada: As many as 20 migrant labourers were rescued by human rights activists from the Rayagada railway station while they were being trafficked to Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday night. The rescued labourers, including 12 women, were handed over to the Labour Department. The labourers, all residents of Panchada village in Koraput district, were being taken to the neighbouring State to work in a textile mill. A middleman was detained for interrogation.

Two sisters drown in pond in Nuapada

Nuapada:  Two sisters, minor ones, drowned while taking bath in a pond near their uncle’s house at Nuapada village under the Khadial police limits on Wednesday. They were identified as Shhetal Baghel and her sister Tanisha, residents of Raipur in Chhattisgarh. Their bodies were handed over to their family members on Thursday morning.

Caritas distributes relief in Fani-hit areas 

Puri: The Caritas India, AJSA and IVN jointly distributed relief material in 17 villages of Brahamagiri block in Cyclone Fani. Intermediate supports with food, shelter and wash needs were distributed among 1,200 families and PwDs, single women and SC and ST and minorities were set on priority as beneficiary target group. As many as 255 shelter kits with tarpaulin and ground, rope, sleeping mat and mosquito net were also distributed. The response is targeted to reach 12,000 families and more villages will be covered in coming days. Volunteers from IVN led by Prasant, AJSA project coordinator Nutan and Caritas India’s Father Karuna coordinated the programme.