Wayanad: A woman from the Parappanpara tribal colony was killed in a wild elephant attack in the interiors of the Meppadi forest range within South Wayanad Forest Division around 8 am on Thursday.
The deceased, Mini, was en route to collect honey when the elephant charged at her. Her husband, Suresh, sustained severe injuries in the incident.
A police team from the Meppadi police station and three forest department teams — two from Meppadi and one from Nilambur — reached the scene when they were notified. Forest department fire watchers were the first to arrive, sources said.
To reach the accident site, rescue teams hd to trek for an hour from Vaniyampuzha, Pothukallu under the Nilambur forest division, and over two hours through the forest from Meppadi in Wayanad, Meppadi Circle Inspector Siju B K told Onmanorama.
"The body was transported to the government hospital at Nilambur in Malappuram, as bringing it to Meppadi through the forest was challenging due to the steep terrain. Suresh was also admitted to the same hospital," he said.
"While one forest department team reached the site by 11.30 am by trekking through the jungle, another team accessed the spot by road through Nilambur," Meppadi Range Officer D Harilal said.
The Parappanpara tribal settlement, nestled deep in the forest, was evacuated and the families were relocated to Mooppainadu village panchayat earlier. However, a few tribal families chose to stay back as they eked out a living by collecting honey.
