A mosque ceremony in Kerala’s Palakkad district took a tragic turn when an elephant went on a rampage, killing its mahout and injuring another person. The incident occurred late Thursday night during the annual ‘nercha’ festival at the Koottanadu Shuhada Makham mosque, authorities confirmed on Friday.
Key Highlights:
- Elephant turned violent during the annual ‘nercha’ ceremony at a mosque in Palakkad.
- The mahout, Kunjumon Ibrahim, succumbed to injuries while being rushed to the hospital.
- Authorities managed to restrain the elephant and move it away from the scene.
Eyewitnesses reported that the elephant, identified as Vallamkulam Narayanan Kutty, suddenly turned aggressive and attacked its handler, 42-year-old Kunjumon Ibrahim. The attack took place around 10:30 PM as the event, which involved multiple elephants from 28 different teams, was underway.
Despite efforts to control the situation, the mahout sustained severe injuries. He was immediately rushed to a hospital in Kunnamkulam but tragically succumbed on the way. Another individual was also injured in the chaos but is currently reported to be in stable condition.
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Authorities acted swiftly to restrain the elephant and safely remove it from the premises, preventing further harm.
This unfortunate incident adds to a growing list of elephant-related mishaps in Kerala. In a similar case on January 7, an elephant became agitated by a crowd during a mosque festival in Malappuram, creating panic among attendees.
Meanwhile, in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, a separate incident was reported where a wild elephant strayed into a temple compound and looted nearby shops. The entire episode was captured on video, showing the elephant calmly wandering through the temple archway and helping itself to fruits and coconuts meant for religious offerings.
The recent events have once again raised concerns about the safety of using elephants in public ceremonies and religious processions. Authorities and animal rights activists continue to urge for stricter regulations to prevent such tragic incidents in the future.