KANNUR: Panic loomed over Ulikkal in Kannur after a 68-year-old man's dead body was found lying near the roadside on Thursday. Earlier, the reason for the death remained ambiguous after the locals found Jose(68) lying dead near the roadside. However, the post-mortem report came out on Thursday evening and it clearly points out that the cause of death was a result of elephant stomping. The report mentions that Jose received a deadly kick in the chest which resulted in instant death. The forest department said that Jose was trying to scare the elephant back to the forest but accidentally slipped down on the ground and was caught by the giant tusker.

Earlier on Thursday, Jose was found lying dead on the road where a wild elephant had roamed. His body was found lying near the fish market in Ulikkal town, Kannur. Locals doubted that the victim had been trampled by the elephant but nothing was confirmed. Jose's internal organs were horrifically seen splattered out on the road.

Jose joined the roster of people to catch a glimpse of the elephant that had roamed into the human habitat on Wednesday. When fireworks were set off to scare the elephant, the giant panicked causing people to run. Six people were injured in the commotion. Sajeer Kallipedikayil from Manipara and Nizam Ulikkal were taken to a private hospital in Ulikkal. Three others received first aid. Educational institutions were closed yesterday, and businesses, offices and traffic were also affected.

The elephant first roamed around St. Joseph Church near the town. The vicar of the church quickly disbursed the crowd and asked them to return home safely after news surfaced about the giant tusker ambling the streets. It is assumed that the giant tusker came from the Karnataka forest. Sneha Rajan, a lottery worker in the region, was the first to witness the tusker around 6 am on Thursday.

Later, fireworks were used to drive the elephant way. The tusker while running away in fear, destroyed the crops of nearby areas. By evening, the forest department informed the residents that the elephant had made its return to the forest.