THIRUVANATHAPURAM: In a tragic incident, a 22-year-old man was trampled to death by a wild elephant in Kerela's Mundur, Palakkad.
Alan, a native of Kairamkode, was riding a two-wheeler with his mother when they were attacked on Sunday night by an elephant just 50 metres from their home. The duo was returning from a relative’s house in Puthupariyaram when the incident occurred around 8 p.m.
Alan succumbed to his injuries while being taken to the hospital. His mother, who sustained injuries in the attack, was initially admitted to the District Hospital and later shifted to the Thrissur Medical College Hospital for further treatment.
Alan’s body has been moved to the mortuary. The incident has triggered widespread concern and anger among residents, who say wild elephant sightings and attacks have become increasingly frequent in the region.
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 his frustration, stating that the forest department had failed to act even after residents reported sightings of the elephant in the area. “The department did not take timely action to drive the elephant back into the forest, ” he said.
Echoing similar concerns, CPI(M) Palakkad district committee member A.K. Gokuladas criticised the state forest department for failing to ensure 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.