An elephant killed one man and seriously injured another after it went on a deadly rampage at a temple.
The bull elephant, named Mayyanad Parthasarathy, broke free of its chains shortly after arriving at the site.
It reportedly gored a 40-year-old lorry driver to death and left its main handler seriously injured.
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The horror unfolded at Kidangoor Mahavishnu Temple in Angamaly at around 9:45am on Friday (1 May), as reported by Need To Know.
The victim, identified as Vishnu from Kollam, had transported the elephant to the temple for a festival blessing.
But the animal suddenly turned violent while being taken for watering.
Police said the elephant went into musth – a natural aggressive state – and lifted Vishnu with its trunk before trampling and goring him repeatedly.
He was killed at the scene.
The animal’s handler, Pradeep, was seriously injured as he tried to intervene and was rushed to hospital.
For nearly two hours, the elephant wreaked havoc around the temple grounds and nearby streets.
It overturned cars, flipped scooters, rammed its tusks into vehicles and damaged parts of the temple compound wall.
Shocking videos shared online captured the chaos as the animal charged at parked cars while terrified residents scrambled for safety.
Festival-goers and temple staff could only watch in horror as the rampage unfolded.
Forest officials eventually arrived and subdued the elephant using tranquilliser darts.
The animal was later secured near the temple premises following the operation.
It had been brought to the site as part of traditional festivities involving captive elephants.
Local magistrates have now launched an official probe into whether safety protocols were breached, and if the elephant was fit to be paraded in a crowded public space.
The temple committee expressed “deepest condolences” to the victim’s family but has yet to comment on what will happen to the elephant.
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