Palakkad (Kerala) [India], May 14 (ANI): A wild elephant attack claimed the life of a resident who was sleeping outside his home in the early hours of Thursday in Malampuzha.
The incident occurred near Vellezhuthampotta when a tusker crossed a forest road and attacked a group of people resting outside. Relatives of the deceased, who were present at the scene, narrowly escaped unharmed.
Locals told ANI that the deceased was identified as A. Chandran, a resident of Vellezhuthampotta in Malampuzha.
According to local residents, Chandran was sleeping by the roadside near his house when a wild elephant that had wandered out of the forest attacked him at around 3:45 a.m. His house is separated from the forest area by only a road.
According to preliminary information, nearby villagers rushed Chandran to Palakkad District Hospital, where doctors declared him dead due to severe injuries.
Earlier this month, an elephant that ran amok near the Kidangoor Mahavishnu Temple in Angamaly was brought under control using tranquilizer shots, chains, and ropes after hours of efforts by officials and elephant handlers.
That incident claimed the life of Vishnu, a native of Kollam and the driver of the vehicle transporting the elephant. Officials said he was trampled to death while attempting to help restrain the agitated animal and died on the spot.
The second mahout, Pradeep, was also injured in the incident and admitted to Little Flower Hospital. His injuries were reported to be non-serious.
The elephant involved in the Angamaly incident was identified as “Mayyanad Parthasarathy,” belonging to Mayyanad in Kollam district. The elephant had been brought for a temple festival at a nearby shrine.
According to preliminary reports, the elephant had been tethered near the temple premises during a break in the festival when it suddenly turned violent, triggering panic in the area as people ran for safety.
Several vehicles parked nearby were damaged during the rampage. Since the area is densely populated, residents and officials feared the elephant could stray into nearby residential neighborhoods.
Following extensive efforts, the elephant was eventually subdued using sedatives and physical restraints, officials said.
Binu, a member of an elephant task force team, said, “We received an urgent call saying the elephant had run amok and that one person had died. We rushed to the spot as quickly as possible.”
“Several attempts were made to control the elephant, but it kept charging at us repeatedly and remained extremely aggressive. Later, the doctor arrived and tranquilized the elephant with a dart. The elephant has now been tied up and brought under control. At present, the situation is stable, and there are no further issues,” he added. (ANI)
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