An unfortunate incident occurred in Malappuram district in Kerala when a distressed elephant went berserk amidst a large crowd at an annual festival on the intervening night of January 7-8.
In videos from the incident, the elephant grabbed hold of a man’s leg and vigorously swayed him around in the air before flinging him down. The incident occurred at the Puthiyangadi festival where five elephants were brought adorned with gold.
In the video, all the elephants are standing in a line, while the crowd is filming them, when suddenly one of the elephants, named Pakkathu Sreekuttan, sprints forward. The crowd immediately dissipates, however, the elephant catches hold of one man and swings him around before flinging him to the ground.
The man is currently receiving treatment at a local hospital, however, is reportedly in a critical state.
17 other people were reportedly injured amidst the panic leading to a stampede-like situation. According to local reports, it took two hours to bring the elephant under control after the incident.
Reacting to the video, X users, criticised animals being subjected to uncomfortable environments with big crowds and loud music.
