In continuing human- wildlife conflict in the forest areas in Kerala, two tribal persons were killed in a wild elephant attack near the Athirappilly waterfalls in the Thrissur district on Monday night.

The incident occurred at Vanchikkadavu under the Vazhachal forest division in Kerala’s Thrissur district, marking the third such fatal attack within just 24 hours in the area. Just a day ago, a tribal youth named Sebastian (20) was killed in an elephant attack in Athirappilly.

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The victims were identified as Satheesh and Ambika, both from tribal settlements in the Vazhachal and Shasthappoovam areas. They resided in a makeshift shelter inside the forest to collect forest produce. They were accompanied by two relatives when the tragedy struck. It is usual for the tribal people to stay in temporary huts for days in the forest to collect forest produce. As the elephant charged, the group fled in panic. While two people managed to escape, Satheesh and Ambika fell victim.

The bodies of Satheesh and Ambika were found during search operations by the forest officials and the police on Tuesday morning. According to the Divisional Forest Officer( DFO) of the Vazhachal division, the cause of death can be confirmed only after postmortem.

Kerala Forest Minister AK Saseendran has on Tuesday sought an immediate report from the head of the Forest Department regarding the incident. He also assured that the government would provide financial assistance to the families of the deceased.

Saseendran also ordered an investigation into the incident that claimed the lives of two tribal people in Athirapilly. The Chief Wildlife Warden will head the probe into the incident, which has sparked protests and created a sense of insecurity in the rural locality.

The wildlife attacks have become a serious threat to the lives of people in Kerala, leading to renewed concerns about worsening human- animal conflict in the state. Over the last eight years, wild animal attacks have claimed 180 lives in Kerala. Last year alone, 12 people lost their lives due to such attacks.