Achenkovil/ Kollam: Passengers on board a KSRTC bus had a narrow escape after a wild elephant suddenly blocked their path and attacked the vehicle.

The bus, travelling from Punalur to Achenkovil, encountered the elephant along the Alimukku-Achenkovil forest stretch. A familiar presence in the area, the animal suddenly stepped in front of the vehicle near Chittar Thura under the Konni Forest Division, leaving passengers startled. Acting on the instructions of bus conductor Unnikrishnan, driver Bijumon brought the vehicle to a halt.

However, as the driver attempted to reverse, the elephant charged at the vehicle and struck it with its tusks. Panic gripped the passengers, whose loud cries eventually forced the animal to retreat into the forest. Despite being a familiar presence in the Chittarthura region for years, the elephant has never before been known to attack a vehicle. It is suspected that riders on a motorbike that passed along the route just ahead of the bus might have done something to provoke the animal.

Following reports of the animal moving along the road, other vehicles also stopped on the roadside as a precaution. With the forest area here experiencing intense summer heat, the elephant was seen with its whole body covered in mud. The incident, meanwhile, has raised concerns over the need for improved safety measures for passengers travelling along the Achenkovil forest route.