3 Killed, 36 Injured As Elephants Go Berserk At Temple Festival In Kerala [Watch]

Kochi: Three persons, including two women, were killed and 36 others were injured in the commotion after two captive elephants ran amok during a temple festival in Koyilandy in Kerala’s Kozhikode district.

The victims, Ammukkutty, 70, Leela, 65, and Rajan, 70, reportedly fell on the ground and sustained grave head injuries while trying to escape from the spot and were later identified as dead on February 13, according to The HIndu.

The incident took place around 6 pm at Manakkulangara Bhagavathi Temple in Kuruvangad, near Koyilandy when one of the elephants panicked as loud fireworks went off and attacked another during a procession that was part of the festival. “The elephants were displayed for the ‘seeveli’ or evening procession when suddenly after hearing the sound of the firecrackers, one of them became aggressive and pushed the other elephant with its tusks. There was a brief scuffle between the two elephants and many people were pushed to the ground during the commotion. A temporary festival office that was erected also collapsed as the elephants pushed each other around,” the Hindustan Times reported, quoting Rajeesh, a local municipal councillor.

The injured devotees were rushed to Kozhikode Government Medical College Hospital and seven of them, including a 10-year-old girl, were reported to be in critical condition. A majority of themwere inside a committee building watching the Thayambaka performance.

It took about two hours to bring the two elephants, named Peethambaran and Gokul, under control. Although the mahouts were thrown off the elephants, they escaped without serious injuries. Eyewitnesses noted that many people had a narrow escape, as the elephants did not directly attack the crowd, the Indian Express reported.

Meanwhile, Kerala forest minister AK Saseendran warned of strict action if any violation of rules was found in connection with the incident. He has already sought an urgent report from the district collector and the chief forest conservator (Social Forestry) of the Northern Region.