COIMBATORE: In a tragic incident, a two-and-a-half-year-old girl and her 55-year-old grandmother were killed in a wild elephant attack at Waterfall Estate near Valparai in the wee hours on Monday.
The deceased has been identified as M Hemasree and her grandmother C Asala (55), resident of 5th division of Waterfall Estate near Valparai.
The elephant allegedly pushed Asala’s hip when she tried to escape by holding Hemasree in her hand as the elephant searched through the window, which was open, using its trunk.
According to sources, Asala panicked after the elephant pushed a tin sheet, used to cover the window, in the absence of a grill. The child began to scream after noticing the elephant.
This reportedly provoked the elephant, triggering it to approach them. They attempted to escape through the main door.
After being attacked by the elephant, Asala fell down, and the animal subsequently trampled the child at 3.45 am.
After getting information from Mariyappan, three of our anti-depredation watchers visited the spot and drove back the wild elephant into a nearby area and took Asala to the Valparai government hospital after she was found unconscious. However, within an hour, she died without responding to the treatment at 5 am. She died due to suffocation.
Both bodies are kept for postmortem at Valparai GH.
Hemasree’s father, Mariyappan (28) , her elder brother, Prakash (4) and their mother, Suganya (25) also stayed in the same house. There were only two labour houses in the locality, and one is in damaged condition. The area is surrounded by a tea estate.
