Two lives lost as elephants turn violent during temple festivals in Kerala

KOCHI: In a tragic turn of events, two people were killed in separate incidents after elephants ran amok at temples in Kerala. The incidents occurred at Kidangoor Sree Mahavishnu Temple in Angamaly and Koodalmanikyam Temple in Irinjalakuda during festival-related activities.

At the Koodalmanikyam Temple in Irinjalakuda, a 25-year-old assistant mahout named Sreekuttan was trampled to death. The head mahout, Amal (28), sustained injuries and is currently undergoing treatment.

The elephant, named 'Vazhvadi Kashinathan,' became violent around noon today. The same elephant had turned aggressive during a procession the previous day, attacking two people. While it had been restrained in the Devaswom compound, it broke through a temporary shed today and attacked its handlers. Though both were rushed to the hospital, Sreekuttan passed away due to severe chest injuries.

The second incident took place at Kidangoor in Angamaly, Ernakulam, where a lorry driver was trampled to death by an elephant that ran amok. The victim, Vishnu, a native of Pathanamthitta, was the driver of the vehicle that transported the elephant.

The elephant, 'Mayyanad Arunima Parthasarathy,' reportedly attacked Vishnu while he was attempting to take a photo of an injury on the elephant’s tusk to send to the owner. The elephant remained near Vishnu's body for a long time, delaying its recovery. A second mahout, Pradeep, suffered serious spinal injuries and is in the ICU at Little Flower Hospital, where he is expected to undergo surgery.

The elephant had been brought for a festival at a nearby Subramanya temple. The rampage began after it was bathed and taken to the Mahavishnu temple for a visit. After causing panic in the residential area for four hours and damaging several cars and bikes, the elephant was eventually tranquillised by a Rapid Response Team (RRT).