Three Lives Lost, Over 20 Injured in Elephant Rampage in Kerala
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Synopsis
In a tragic event at Kuruvangad Manakkulangara Temple in Koyilandi, two elephants caused chaos, resulting in three fatalities and numerous injuries. Local officials are addressing the emergency response as the community grapples with the aftermath of this incident.
Key Takeaways
- Three fatalities reported due to elephant rampage.
- Over 20 people injured in the chaos.
- Incident linked to temple festival celebrations.
- Supreme Court's recent ruling on elephant guidelines questioned.
- Local hospital directed to provide urgent care to the injured.
Kozhikode, Feb 13 (NationPress) A devastating incident occurred at the Kuruvangad Manakkulangara Temple in Koyilandi near Kozhikode on Thursday evening when two elephants went berserk, resulting in the deaths of three individuals and leaving seven others with serious injuries, along with an additional 22 people affected.
The victims included two women: Leela, aged 65, and Ammukutty, aged 70, along with another individual named Rajan. Local legislator K. Jameela reported that chaos erupted when firecrackers were set off as part of the temple celebrations.
This disturbance caused the elephants to become agitated, resulting in a confrontation between them.
In the ensuing panic, the throng of devotees scattered in all directions, and the elephants charged into a nearby building, leading to its collapse and the subsequent fatalities.
Amidst the fear and confusion, many more people became trapped in the stampede-like scenario.
As a result, seven individuals sustained serious wounds, while 22 others suffered various injuries.
Jameela stated that the state-operated hospital in Koyilandi has been instructed to provide top-notch care for the injured.
This incident coincided with the Supreme Court's decision in December of the previous year to suspend the guidelines set forth by the Kerala High Court regarding the usage of elephants during festivals.
Previously, a division bench of the Kerala High Court had imposed stringent regulations on elephant parades, mandating a three-meter gap between elephants and an eight-meter distance from percussion ensembles during festivities.
However, the Supreme Court bench, consisting of Justice B.V. Nagaratna and Justice N.K. Singh, remarked that the restrictions enacted by the High Court contradicted the Kerala Captive Elephants (Management and Maintenance) Rules, 2012, and were not feasible.
The bench noted that the High Court should not have taken suo motu action in this matter.
Earlier, a High Court bench comprising Justice A.K. Jayashankaran Nambiar and Justice P. Gopinath had noted in a judgment dated November 13 that employing elephants in festivals was not considered an essential religious practice.
