Elephant Kills its Trainer, Injures 18 in India

A rampaging male elephant crushed its trainer to death and injured eighteen other people during a religious festival in southern India.

A rampaging male elephant crushed its trainer to death and injured eighteen other people during a religious festival in southern India, witnesses said.

The elephant apparently became aggressive after seeing another elephant being ill-treated by its trainer, killing its handler before rampaging around the school premises where the festival was being held in Thrissur district of Kerala state.

Television pictures broadcast on Tuesday showed the tusked elephant carrying his trainer in its trunk and trampling over barricades, while frantic crowds scattered to get out of the way.

Many people pelted large stones at the elephant, while others hit it with large bamboo sticks.

It took authorities around three hours to bring the situation under control and tranquillise the animal. Authorities said they had ordered an inquiry into the incident, which happened on Sunday.

Elephants are deeply revered in India, where the elephant-headed god Ganesha is one of the most popular in the Hindu pantheon and considered lucky.

But despite their divine status, animal rights activists say elephants are often ill-treated and overworked in circuses, festivals and in the tourist industry where they often ferry tourists for long distances.