KOZHIKODE: The death toll reached three in the chaos that took place in Manakkulangara Temple in Koyilandy. The victims have been identified as Leela (65), Ammukutty (70) from Kuruvangad and Rajan from Koyilandy. Around 22 people have been injured. Seven of them are in critical condition.

Hearing the firecrackers bursting, one elephant ran amok a stabbed another tusker nearby. The stabbed elephant fell over the committee office in the nearby premises. Those inside the office at the time of the incident were injured. It was elephants Dhanjayanan and Gokul, that went berserk during the festival.

With both elephants creating havoc, most of the devotees crowded in the temple skittered on all sides. Some fell and were trampled by the elephant. Both the pachyderms were tamed after three hours of toiling labour from the mahouts. Those injured in the incident were shifted to Kozhikode Medical College Hospital and nearby hospitals. Most of the injured are women. The elephants destroyed the roof of the temple building and the office room.