(Adnkronos) – At least 17 people were injured, one seriously, in an elephant attack during a festival at a mosque in the Malapuram district of the Indian state of Kerala.
Hundreds had gathered to participate in the Puthiyangadi festival in Tirur. During the celebration, which was attended by five elephants, one of the animals escaped the control of the handlers and began charging at the crowd. Images released by several media outlets show the elephant, named Pakkathu Sreekuttan, picking up a man from the ground with its trunk, then shaking him and throwing him into the air.
According to medical sources, the man is in critical condition and was rushed to Kotakkal Hospital. According to Ndtv, many were injured trying to escape the animal’s fury. Many of those present tried to restrain the elephant with chains, but authorities revealed that it took them over two hours to bring the elephant back under control.
