Guruvayur: An elephant brought for a festival at Kottappadi Chembalakulangara temple, Guruvayur, in Kerala, ran amok killing 2 people. The elephant named Thechikottukavu Ramachandran was taken to a house warming function near Kottappadi. Suddenly, when some people started bursting crackers, the elephant began to run.

Later, the elephant ran into a group of people, who were standing near the house, trampling two of them to death. It is reported that the house owner’s friend Babu aka Narayanan Patteri (66) and Kozhikode native Arakkal Gangadhran (60) are the deceased. 

Narayanan Patteri was an employee of the Dubai Stock Exchange. He was about to return to Dubai today.

Kottappadi native Mullath Ranjini (65), Chalissery native Amjesh (25) and Chavakkad native Karimath Akshay were hospitalised for minor injuries.

Eight others were also injured in the incident that took place at around 2 PM on Friday.

Thechikkottukavu Ramachandran, one of the tallest elephants in the state, is much sought-after for temple festivals. 

In 2013, the same elephant, which had killed three women during a ceremony at Rayamangalam Koottumadam temple, was banned from public ceremonies.

Earlier, an Ayyappa devotee was killed in a wild elephant attack on the forest pathway to the Sabarimala shrine. The victim was identified as Tamil Nadu’s Paramasivam.

The incident happened on January 8 night at Sabarimala kanana patha (forest route). The elephant attacked the 35-year-old Paramasivam, a native of Salem, at the traditional path to Karimala. Nineteen other pilgrims were travelling to the shrine with Paramasivam.