Idukki (Kerala) |Incidents of human-animal conflict continued in Kerala with a man being killed in an attack by a stray wild elephant in Kannimala estate near the tourist town of Munnar in this hilly district.
Monday night's incident comes after the death of two persons in attacks by wild elephants in Wayanad recently, sparking protests by local people.
The deceased was identified as 44-year-old Suresh Kumar, also known as Mani, an autorickshaw driver hailing from Kannimala Top Division here, police said.
Some other passengers including a woman and her school-going daughter had a narrow escape when the vehicle was attacked and toppled by the elephant, police said.
Tragedy struck the autorickshaw driver when he was on his way to drop a family comprising Rajeena, a local woman, her husband and daughter at their home after the annual day celebration at the girl's school here.
Two migrant labourers were also present in the vehicle at the time of the incident.
A shocked Rajeena later recounted that the elephant, which was standing on the road, attacked the autorickshaw and toppled it.
She said they were trapped beneath the vehicle and the driver was attacked by the animal when he attempted to exit.
"The elephant took him by the trunk and tossed him three times. We were rescued by some persons who were passing that way in a jeep. They helped us come out of the toppled vehicle after the elephant had moved away," she told the media from a hospital here on Tuesday.
A senior police officer said the critically injured man reportedly died before reaching a nearby hospital.
The other passengers, who suffered minor injuries in the incident, were recovering in hospital, he said.
Meanwhile, the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) is observing a dawn-to-dusk hartal in KDH Village, comprising Munnar Town here, seeking a permanent solution to the increasing human-animal conflict in the region.
The opposition Congress also announced a roadblock in the region raising the same demand.
Police said shops remained closed and the agitators stopped the vehicles in the region but no untoward incidents have been reported so far.
Devikulam MLA A Raja urged the government to provide adequate compensation and a job to the family of the victim Kumar.
"Urgent intervention is necessary to address the frequent attacks by wild elephants in the region. There are several rogue elephants and we want them to be relocated from here," he said.
Wayanad, another hilly district in the state, recently witnessed massive protests by local people as two persons were killed in attacks of wild elephants.
