A tragic incident unfolded at the Manakulangara Temple in Kerala’s Kozhikode on Thursday evening, as two elephants ran amok during a festival, causing a stampede and the collapse of a wall. Three people lost their lives, and over 30 others sustained injuries.
Chaos Unfolds at Temple Festival
The incident occurred around 6 pm when devotees and temple authorities were celebrating with firecrackers. A video of the event shows the elephants, who were brought in for the festival, becoming agitated due to the loud noises. Within moments, they were seen colliding with each other before charging into a nearby building. The impact caused the building’s wall to collapse, trapping several people underneath.
As panic spread, a stampede-like situation ensued, with people scrambling to escape. “People panicked, leading to a stampede, resulting in several injuries. Three people have unfortunately died,” an official confirmed.
Victims and Investigation
The deceased have been identified as Ammukutty, Leela, and Rajan. Authorities have rushed all the injured to nearby hospitals for treatment.
An initial probe revealed that the temple had received permission to parade the two elephants during the festival. However, officials are now investigating whether there was any violation of the Kerala Captive Elephants (Management and Maintenance) Rules.
Government’s Response
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan expressed his condolences over the tragic deaths. In a statement, the state government assured a thorough investigation into the incident to determine if any safety protocols were breached.
Sources By Agencies