47-yr-old labourer killed in elephant attack near Uthamapalayam
The victim was frightened after seeing the elephant all of a sudden and ran helter-skelter. However, the elephant chased him down and attacked him, police said.
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MADURAI: A 47-year-old man was killed in an elephant attack near Uthamapalayam in Theni district on Monday night. The deceased victim has been identified as Murugan, who belonged to Kodangipatti village, sources said.
Murugan, who is a farm labourer, was allegedly trampled to death by the wild elephant when he was returning from a coconut grove at Kariyanampatti on the foothills of Western Ghats.
The victim was frightened after seeing the elephant all of a sudden and ran helter-skelter. However, the elephant chased him down and attacked him, police said.
The relatives of the victim went in search of him since he did not return home. They found Murugan on Tuesday bruised and bleeding severely.
Sources from the Forest Department said the victim died of causes not related to trampling. But the elephant pushed him and he died on the fringes of Uthamapalayam Forest Range. Based on a complaint, Kombai police have filed a case and are conducting an inquiry.