NEW DELHI, April 23 (RIA Novosti) - A male elephant suddenly became uncontrollable during a temple festival in India Wednesday crushing three people to death, including his handler, and injuring several others, the CNN-IBN news channel reported.
The tragedy occurred in Kerala in southern India, where the animals have been used for centuries in religious ceremonies, when the elephant, Unnikrishnan, suddenly ran amok and went on the rampage crushing everything in his path. The fit lasted about an hour and a half before the elephant became calm and could be tethered, the channel said.
Such tragedies take place every year. Elephant owners are often blamed for improperly feeding the animals, which suffer from heat and overwork at festivals and lose control.
Authorities in the state of Kerala ordered a commission be set up to oversee the treatment of elephants last year in a bid to curb the number of incidents. The commission has yet to be established.
