Baby dies in stampede as gun salute scares jumbos
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A two-year-old child was killed and around 60 people were hurt in a stampede after three elephants ran amok at the aarattu rituals on the concluding day of the Irinjalakuda Koodalmanikam temple’s annual festival in Kerala on Sunday.
The incident happened at 9.30 am when the police were to give the ritualistic royal salute and present arms to the deity before it left for the aarattu procession to Koodapuzha river in Chalakudy.
On hearing the gun shot, one of the elephants, Kalakuthu Kannan, turned restive and ran amok. Two other elephants, Cherppulaserry Ayyappan and Thirumaram Kunnummal Parasuraman carrying the idol, followed it. There was commotion and the huge crowd that gathered to witness the festival finale began to run for life.
The motorcycles parked outside made the movement difficult and a stampede followed, in which two-year-old Yadukrishnan of Kombara died. Though a police team rushed the toddler to a hospital, it was declared brought dead.
More than 60 people, including women and children, were hurt in the commotion. The condition of eight of them admitted to private hospitals in Irinjalakuda and Thrissur is said to be critical.
The elephant squad and mahouts succeeded in bringing the tuskers under control. Two hours later, the rituals were held in a peaceful atmosphere.
A day before, six persons were injured in a stampede when a rumor spread that an elephant turned violent. None was injured seriously.
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