Kerala - Alappuzha   

Elephant runs amok; mahout injured

TRAPPED: Temple official Udayan atop an elephant that ran amok in Cherthala on Friday.

ALAPPUZHA: An elephant ran amok during the ‘parayeduppu’ ceremony held in connection with the festival at the Vadakummuri Aravukad Devi Temple at Cherthala on Friday, injuring its mahout and spreading panic in the area for more than five hours.

According to eyewitnesses, the elephant, Kuttikrishnan, had covered more than 50 houses since morning as part of the ceremony when it suddenly turned violent and attacked the first mahout, Rejimon. The elephant gored Rejimon, 26, injuring him seriously. Even as the local people managed to drag Rejimon to safety, a temple official, 42-year-old Udayan was trapped atop the elephant.

The elephant then ran around the region before reaching a paddy field, all the while with Mr. Udayan sitting atop.

By 2 p.m., veterinarian Abraham Tharakan, who was rushed in from Ernakulam managed to get a tranquilizer shot at Kuttikrishnan. But it took another hour for the elephant to calm down, the police said.

The mahout has been admitted to a private hospital in Kochi where he is undergoing treatment. His condition is learnt to be critical.The elephant, belonging to G. Krishnaprasad, is the third one to have triggered panic in the region over the last one week.

On Saturday last, another elephant belonging to the same person had run amok in Pathirapally, damaging a vehicle and leaving a trail of destruction in the area.

A couple of days back, an elephant caused panic at Muhamma when it suddenly took ill. The elephant, however, fainted before it could cause any damage.

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