Five elephants were lined up as part of a ritual at remote Pullapatta village in Palakkad district. One of them went berserk and started flinging away parked vehicles, especially motorbikes and auto-rickshaws.
Initially, the animal’s tusk was tethered to something, but it managed to break free and went on a rampage. Two mahouts tried to tame the animal, but to little avail.
No injuries were reported.
Hundreds of captive elephants are booked in advance by organizers of fairs and festivals in southern India to attract people.
Accidents are not uncommon.
In a somewhat similar incident, a wild elephant went on a rampage in a village in India’s eastern West Bengal state earlier this month, damaging around 100 structures, AP reported.
S/SH 11