Elephant Fury kills Three in Thrissur
An Elephant runs amok after trampling a woman to death at Koodalmanikya Temple in Irinjalakuda, near Thrissur, on Wednesday.A mahout sat atop the elephant for one-and-a-half hours as it ran wildly, leaving a trail of destruction...
The elephant ran wildly and exited the compound of the temple through its third entrance. About 200 people who waited near the entrance ran helter-skelter.While the animal trampled the woman, the men were chased down and impaled on one of its tusks, temple sources said.
The elephant caught up with Kausalya, who could not keep pace with the others, and trampled her to death. It then entered the temple compound again. People lit bonfires at two of the three entrances of the temple to prevent the elephant from leaving the compound.
Members of the Elephant Emergency and Critical Care Unit reached the spot at 1 p.m. They tried to shoot the elephant with a tranquiliser gun, but could not as it ran wildly.
The elephant then broke open an iron gate at the temple’s second entrance. A group of people who stood there, including a Circle Inspector of police, a policeman and a few photographers, ran to safety. The police said Nidheesh, an ardent lover of elephants, had ignored the Circle Inspector’s warnings against remaining there. The elephant charged at Nidheesh, and gored and trampled him to death.
A mahout, Kuttan, sat atop the elephant for one-and-a-half hours and clung to life as the elephant went about killing two persons.
He had a miraculous escape by jumping off the elephant’s back.
Mahouts brought the elephant to control around 2.15 p.m. inside the temple compound while it was drinking from the temple pond.
Four persons were injured in the commotion.
District Collector V. K. Baby and top police officials visited the spot. The Collector ordered an investigation into the incident.
The government and the Irinjalakuda Koodalmanikya Devaswom sanctioned an assistance of Rs.2 lakh each to the kith and kin of the dead.
P. S. Mani, Divisional Forest Officer, Chalakudy, said temple authorities had violated the rule that fitness certificates of elephants should be submitted to the Forest Department 72 hours before the commencement of the festival. In all, 17 elephants were being featured at the 10-day annual temple festival, which began on April 18.
The Kerala Elephant Lovers Association alleged that temple authorities had violated the High Court’s directive on elephant care at festivals between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Every year, angry elephants trained to take part in temple festivals in Kerala turn on their trainers, injuring, killing people and damaging property. However, elephant lovers say it's the government that is really to be blamed.
For the Video go Here
Code:
http://www.ibnlive.com/videos/63815/temple-elephant-runs-amok-crushes-3-in-kerala.html
Here is the Video of Another Elephant Fury happened last Year at Thrissur itself but at a different temple
(Really Graphic)