3 Killed As 2 Elephants Run In Panic, Cause Stampede At Kerala Temple

Three people died and over 30 others were injured after two elephants caused havoc, a wall collapse, and a stampede at the Manakulangara Temple in Kerala's Kozhikode on Thursday. The incident took place around 6 pm when the temple authorities and devotees were celebrating a festival by bursting firecrackers.

A video of the incident shows the two elephants, who were brought for the temple festival, getting agitated due to the bursting of firecrackers. Within seconds, the elephants were seen running amok. They first hit each other, then a building near the shrine. The building's wall collapsed, trapping some people underneath it.

A stampede-like situation also took place as all the people started running away from the animals.

"People also panicked which resulted in a stampede leading to many people suffering minor injuries...three people have died," an official said.

The three victims have been identified as Ammukutty, Leela, and Rajan, officials said.

All the injured victims have been taken to nearby hospitals for treatment.

An initial probe revealed that the temple had permission to parade two elephants.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan condoled the deaths and said it was a "tragic incident". According to a statement by the state government, authorities are also investigating whether there has been a violation of the Kerala Captive Elephants (Management and Maintenance) Rules.

"Stringent action will be taken if rules are found to be violated," state forest minister AK Saseendran said.