Mahout dies after getting trapped between iron bar while unloading elephant from lorry

PALAKKAD: A mahout met a tragic end while unloading the elephant from the lorry for a temple festival. The deceased has been identified as Devan (58), mahout of an elephant named Chathapuram Babu brought for a procession at Melarkode. Devan was the first mahout of the said elephant.

The accident happened when the elephant tried to get out of the lorry. The elephant was pushed from the front to force it back but the elephant moved forward and the mahout got stuck in between an iron bar. He was immediately taken to a private hospital in Nenmara but died.

Recently, an elephant brought for nercha (offering) in Pattambi ran out of the lorry and trampled a man, cows and a goat. The incident happened near Vadakkumuri in Palakkad on March 4 around 4 am. Muthu, the elephant owned by a native of Thamarassery, jumped out of the lorry.

The elephants trampled a native of Tamil Nadu, injuring him. He was shifted to the district hospital. It also trampled two cows and a goat to death and damaged a house and a shop.