Bhubaneswar, Nov 26 (IANS) As many as 668 persons were killed due to attacks by elephants across the state during the last three years in Odisha, said the Forest, Environment and Climate Change Department Minister Singh Khuntia said while replying to the question of BJD leader Sanatan Mahakud in Odisha Assembly on Tuesday.

The minister further added that 509 persons sustained serious injuries in jumbo attacks during the above period.

Singh Khuntia further added that the elephants killed 139 domestic animals and damaged 10259 houses during the last three years. The jumbos also caused damage to crops in land measuring 73620.82 acres across the state during the same period.

As per the reply, the forests in Odisha have 2098 jumbos while there are 14 dedicated elephant corridors in the state.

Similarly, the state has also recorded a significant number of elephant deaths in the recent past.

Singh Khuntia in his reply to a question asked by MLA Tusharkanti Behera on Tuesday revealed in the assembly that as many as 40 elephants along with five leopards, and 200 other wildlife species have died between July 1 and November 20 this year.

He further added that 26 people have been arrested in connection with elephant deaths while two forest guards and one forester have been placed under suspension for dereliction of their duties.

Rairakhol forest division on November 19 suspended three forest department officials and transferred three others after two female adults and a calf died due to electrocution in Sambalpur district.

The carcasses of the three jumbos were spotted in the Buramal Forest area under the Naktideul forest range in Sambalpur on November 18.

While replying to another query by BJD MLA Pratap Keshari Deb, minister Singhkhuntia on Tuesday said that as many as 22 persons were killed in crocodile attacks in Kendrapara district of the state between 2019-20 and 2023-24.