Kerala: Tribal woman trampled to death by wild elephant at Edakkara

Malappuram (Kerala): A 52-year-old tribal woman was trampled to death by a wild elephant at Edakkara in Moothedam Gram Panchayat bordering to Nilambur forest on Wednesday.

This was the second attack of wild elephants against tribal people within a span of eleven days. Mani (35), a tribal youth of Manchiri-Poochapara colony in Karulai village was trampled to death on January 4.

According to reports, the deceased was identified as Sarojini (52) alias Neeli, residing in Uchakulam colony at Edakkara.

The incident took place around 1000 hrs, when a group of tribal people went to graze their cattles and collect forest resources from Karulai forest areas, which was about half kilometre away from their houses.

Suddenly, they found a herd of elephants and one of them attacked Sarojini and others fled away from the scene. Later, they returned to the accident spot and found that the body was lying on the ground. They shifted the body by walking around half a kilometre to their house at Uchakulam colony premises. Local residents alerted the forest department about the incident.

People's representatives and political leaders also rushed to the spot and they demanded that the body has to be shifted to Nilambur hospital for post mortem and inquest, after the visit of the District Collector and top forest officials of the district who should ensure that there will be no further incidents of elephant attacks.

Wayanad South District Forest Officer (DFO) Danithlal said that arrangements will be made soon to set up hanging fencing and trenches bordering the forest areas within a month.

Following the elephant attack, on January 5, Nilambur MLA, P V Anvar led Democratic Movement of Kerala (DMK) workers organized a protest agitation to the DFO office and they also damaged the windowpanes and doors.

Police arrested 11 DMK workers including MLA on January 6 and lodged in a jail and released on bail on January 7. This incident created controversy and led to the resignation of Anvar from the post. He recently joined the Trinamool Congress led by Mamata Banarjee at a function held in West Bengal.