Thiruvananthapuram: In a tragic incident, a 22-year-old man was trampled to death by a wild elephant in Kerala's Mundur, Palakkad.
Alan, a resident of Kairamkode, was riding a two-wheeler with his mother when they were suddenly attacked by a wild elephant on Sunday night. The incident occurred around 8 p.m., just 50 metres from their home, as they were returning from a relative's house in Puthupariyaram.
Tragically, Alan succumbed to his injuries while being transported to the hospital. His mother, who was also injured in the elephant attack, received initial treatment at the District Hospital before being transferred to the Thrissur Medical College Hospital for further care.
Alan's body has been taken to the mortuary. The incident has sparked widespread outrage and concern among local residents, who claim that sightings and attacks by wild elephants have become more frequent in the area.
Malampuzha MLA A. Prabhakaran, speaking to the media, described the incident as deeply unfortunate. “I have raised the issue of wild animal attacks several times in the Kerala Assembly. Despite measures such as solar fencing, nothing seems to be working. The DFO has informed me that they are yet to trace the elephant responsible for the attack, which is a serious concern,” he said.
In protest, the CPI(M) has called for a hartal in Mundur until noon on Monday.
Local farmer P.R. Mukundan expressed frustration, criticising the forest department for not taking action despite residents reporting sightings of the elephant in the area.
“The department did not take timely action to drive the elephant back into the forest,” he said.
CPI(M) Palakkad district committee member A.K. Gokuladas slammed the state forest department for neglecting public safety.
In response to the incident, the BJP’s Palakkad district committee has announced a protest march to the office of the District Forest Officer (DFO) at 10 AM on Monday.
Kerala Forest Minister A.K. Saseendran assured that the forest department would provide compensation to Alan’s family.
(inputs from IANS)