A 24-year-old man lost his life after attempting to chase away a wild elephant in Viraliyur near Thondamuthur, Coimbatore. The incident occurred on July 28 despite warnings from forest officials.
Coimbatore: A tragic incident unfolded near Thondamuthur in Coimbatore district when a young man lost his life while attempting to chase away a wild elephant. The incident occurred on July 28 around 10 PM in the Viraliyur residential area.
Residents of the area immediately alerted the Poolampatti forest department upon spotting the wild elephant in their locality. Forest officials and local residents quickly arrived at the scene and attempted to drive the elephant back into the forest area. The agitated lone tusker began moving erratically, prompting forest officials to warn people not to approach the animal.
Despite the warnings, two young men from Viraliyur Indira Colony - Karthik (24) and Harish (22) - decided to chase the elephant. As they pursued the animal, it suddenly turned and charged towards them. While Harish managed to escape, Karthik stumbled and fell. The enraged elephant lifted Karthik with its trunk, threw him, and trampled him, resulting in his immediate death at the scene.
Harish, who fell while running away, sustained injuries and was rushed to Coimbatore Government Hospital in a Tata AC vehicle for treatment.
The incident has sent shockwaves through the area, as the young man lost his life despite repeated warnings from forest officials not to chase or provoke the wild elephant.
On July 29, DMK party officials, led by Thondamuthur Ravi, the North Coimbatore District Secretary of DMK, visited the incident site to offer condolences to the bereaved family. They provided financial assistance of Rs. 20,000 from personal funds and handed over the Tamil Nadu government's initial compensation of Rs. 50,000 to the family. Local party administrators and residents were also present during the visit.
Residents of the area immediately alerted the Poolampatti forest department upon spotting the wild elephant in their locality. Forest officials and local residents quickly arrived at the scene and attempted to drive the elephant back into the forest area. The agitated lone tusker began moving erratically, prompting forest officials to warn people not to approach the animal.
Despite the warnings, two young men from Viraliyur Indira Colony - Karthik (24) and Harish (22) - decided to chase the elephant. As they pursued the animal, it suddenly turned and charged towards them. While Harish managed to escape, Karthik stumbled and fell. The enraged elephant lifted Karthik with its trunk, threw him, and trampled him, resulting in his immediate death at the scene.
Harish, who fell while running away, sustained injuries and was rushed to Coimbatore Government Hospital in a Tata AC vehicle for treatment.
The incident has sent shockwaves through the area, as the young man lost his life despite repeated warnings from forest officials not to chase or provoke the wild elephant.
On July 29, DMK party officials, led by Thondamuthur Ravi, the North Coimbatore District Secretary of DMK, visited the incident site to offer condolences to the bereaved family. They provided financial assistance of Rs. 20,000 from personal funds and handed over the Tamil Nadu government's initial compensation of Rs. 50,000 to the family. Local party administrators and residents were also present during the visit.