KOZHIKODE: The postmortem of the three dead when two elephants went berserk during a temple festival will be conducted today. The dead have been identified as Leela (60), Ammukkutty Amma (78) of Kuruvangad in Koyilandy and Rajan (68) of Urallur in Koyilandy.

The collector and the chief forest conservator of the northern region are likely to submit a report on the incident. They will examine whether the local elephant management rules were violated. Those who came to the festival said that the specified distance to be maintained while the elephants were paraded was not maintained. The police informed that the authorities had sought permission for the elephant parade at the temple. It is believed that the elephant went berserk after hearing the sound of bursting firecrackers.

The elephants ran amok during the festival at the Manakulangara Bhagavathy temple at Kuruvangad in Koyilandy. The incidents started at around 6 pm while the procession was taking place at the temple yesterday on the last day of the festival.

As the fireworks started, the elephant that ran amok stabbed another one. The two elephants then went berserk. Meanwhile, the office of the temple committee collapsed. Three people under it died and 33 sustained injuries. Seven people are in a critical condition.

The elephants Peethambaran and Gokul brought to the festival from Guruvayur Devaswom, were the ones that went berserk. Many of the people sustained injuries by falling down after seeing the elephants running amok. Some were trampled by the elephant. A hartal is being observed in nine wards of Koyilandy Municipality today.