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Tourist crushed to death amid fight between two elephants in Karnataka's Kodagu
According to officials, the trained elephants, Kanjan and Marthanda, started fighting while they were being bathed.
A woman died after being crushed during a clash between two trained elephants at the Dubare camp in Karnataka’s Kodagu district after one of the animals lost its balance and fell on her, officials said on Monday.
A video of the incident, showing the elephants fighting, is now doing the rounds on social media.
What happened?
Tulasi, 33, a tourist from Tamil Nadu, died in the incident while standing near the river and watching the elephants being bathed, officials told news agency PTI.
According to officials, the trained elephants, Kanjan and Marthanda, started fighting while they were being bathed.
Mahouts tried to bring the situation under control, but Kanjan rushed towards Marthanda and hit him. Marthanda then lost balance and fell.
The woman got trapped beneath the elephant and died. Meanwhile, Tulasi's husband and child, who were standing beside her, escaped without injuries, according to media reports.
Karnataka minister orders probe
Karnataka minister for forest, ecology and environment Eshwar Khandre expressed grief over the incident and ordered a detailed investigation. He also instructed officials to make sure people maintain a safe distance from wildlife.
Calling the incident deeply shocking, Khandre said it was "extremely painful." He offered prayers for the departed soul and strength to the affected woman's family to cope with the loss.
According to a statement from his office, the minister directed officials to carry out a thorough inquiry and put steps in place to avoid such incidents in the future.
Khandre also said that even trained elephants and other wild animals can react in unexpected ways, and it is not always possible to understand or predict their behaviour.
He instructed officials to stop activities such as allowing people to touch elephants' trunks, stand next to them for photographs, bathe elephants, or feed them jaggery, bananas and other food items.
The statement added that he also directed authorities to ensure tourists keep the required safe distance from wildlife.
Past incidents
Earlier in March this year, two people were killed in separate wild elephant attacks in Assam's Nagaon district, police said. They added that several local residents were injured in different elephant attacks in the area.
Local residents said the herd had first entered the Bajiyagaon area in Samaguri in search of food, but later turned aggressive after villagers tried to chase the animals away.
Meanwhile, in Karnataka in March, a 49-year-old coffee grower was killed in an elephant attack near Siddapura in Virajpet taluk of Kodagu district in Karnataka.
With inputs from agencies
