Two killed in elephant attacks in The Nilgiris

Two persons died in separate elephant attacks just a few hours apart in The Nilgiris on late Monday night and early Tuesday morning.

In the first incident, a temple priest in Masinagudi, identified as B.S. Rajappan, 40, was returning home from the temple along a shortcut near an abandoned stone quarry in the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) when he was attacked by an elephant. Rajappan died in the incident and his body was brought to the Government Medical College and Hospital in Udhagamandalam.

In another incident, 28-year-old C. Raghu was returning home after taking part in a temple festival in Konavakarai near Kotagiri. Raghu and his friends were walking together along a stream in the area when they were attacked by a wild elephant. Raghu died on the spot, and Forest Department officials retrieved his body.

The authorities released interim compensation amounting to ₹50,000 to the kin of the deceased and preparations are under way to expedite the release of ₹10 lakh in compensation. The Forest Department appealed to residents to not venture into forest areas after dusk and to alert the department through their toll free number in case any wild animals are sighted close to human settlements.