At least 17 people were injured, including one critically, after an elephant went on a rampage during a festival in Kerala's Malappuram district late last night.
The incident occurred at the Puthiyangadi festival in Tirur, which had drawn a large crowd. Visuals from the event show five elephants, decorated with golden plates, as attendees tried to capture the moment on their phones.
Suddenly, one of the elephants, named Pakkathu Sreekuttan, became agitated and charged into the crowd. In a shocking moment, the elephant lifted a man, swung him in the air, and hurled him away.
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The injured man, whose condition is critical, is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital in Kotakkal. The panic caused by the elephant’s rampage led to a stampede-like situation, resulting in most of the injuries.
Efforts to control the elephant involved several men using chains, and it took nearly two hours to subdue it. The animal was eventually secured near a mast to prevent further chaos. Visuals from the scene captured the fear and chaos as people scrambled to escape to safety.