Lone elephant kills 2 women in Krishnagiri

COIMBATORE: A lone elephant on a rampage killed two women, injured two persons, and killed two cows in separate attacks in Denkanikottai in Krishnagiri on Sunday. Elephant attacks have killed five people in the district this year, triggering a massive protest on Sunday.

The elephant, which was separated from its herd upon migration from Karnataka, first attacked Vasanthamma (37), the wife of Anand from Anniyalam village near Thally, while she was walking in a farmland. She died on the spot. It then moved to neighbouring Dasarapalli village and trampled a daily wager, Aswathamma (45), wife of Venkadesappa, who was heading to work.

It also charged at two others, Sakkarapani from Semmarapatti near Uthangarai and Ram Shri, a guest worker from north India, who were admitted to Denkanikottai Government Hospital. Two cows were also killed by the elephant.

As the news spread, people from Anniyalam and Dasarapalli villages resorted to roadblock protests in different spots. Hundreds of villagers led by Thally MLA T Ramachandran of the CPI, along with members of various political parties, blocked the Anchetty road demanding a government job for a family member of the deceased, Rs 20 lakh compensation, and also demanded that the wild elephant be captured. The Forest Department gave an initial solatium of Rs two lakh to the kin of the victims.

“A team comprising veterinarians from Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR) has been constituted to monitor the movement of the elephant, which has retreated into the Thalli forest area, to capture it,” an official said. On January 17, a 30-year-old woman was killed in an elephant attack on Hanumanthapuram-Kelamangalam Road. Later on January 29, a man came under attack in the Maharajakadai area, and another on February 1 near Shoolagiri.