Cuttack: Panic gripped villages under Niali block in Cuttack district after a rampaging bull killed an elderly man and injured at least six others on Saturday.
The incident occurred around 11 am in Dhiasitalo village under Sitalo Panchayat, where 90-year-old Dwijabar Swain was attacked by the bull while feeding his cow in front of his house. The animal reportedly charged at him, tossed him with its horns and inflicted severe injuries.
Swain was rushed to the District Headquarters Hospital in Jagatsinghpur, where doctors declared him dead.
In a separate incident linked to the same animal, 93-year-old Harekrushna Swain sustained serious injuries and was initially admitted to the Jagatsinghpur District Headquarters Hospital before being referred to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack for advanced treatment.
Six others—identified as Vishwanath Badu, his wife Manjusha Malini Badu, Bhima Mallick, Sanyukta Nayak, Jagannath Nayak and Rupali Nayak of Shasanpada village—were also injured in the attack. They are currently undergoing treatment at the Jagatsinghpur District Headquarters Hospital.
Following the incidents, enraged villagers armed with sticks chased the bull and eventually drove it into the dried-up Devi riverbed.
Locals alleged that several bulls had been abandoned in the area during the night, and one among them has turned unusually aggressive, repeatedly attacking residents. The situation has triggered fear in the locality, with people confining themselves indoors and markets remaining shut. Children, in particular, are being kept from venturing outside.
Villagers have urged the Animal Resources Development Department to immediately intervene and capture the stray bull before further harm is caused.
Authorities are yet to issue an official statement on the incident.
