Chaos, stampede and heartbreak on final day of Kerala temple festival

Tragedy unfolded on the final day of the festival at Manakulangara temple in Koyilandy, plunging residents into despair on Thursday evening. The festival popularly known as Oochal fete, which spans five days, is held with much fanfare, drawing a huge crowd. Three people - Vattamkandy Leela (68), Vadakkayil Rajan (66), and Mayooram Ammukutty (65) - died, and nearly thirty persons have been admitted to hospital after elephants ran amok during the temple festival.

A ritual (sheeveli) was underway when crackers burst, throwing one of the elephants into a fit of rage which shoved the other elephant. The elephant leaned onto an old building where many women had assembled to witness the rituals. The wall of the structure crumbled, and many people were caught under the rubble. Two processions were supposed to meet in front of the temple, where caparisoned elephants would lead a single procession. The elephants became aggressive just as people were gathering in large numbers to be part of the procession. A stampede erupted as people desperately ran to safe places.

Sudhakaran, who stays nearby, was walking towards the temple when he saw a panicked crowd scampering all over the premises. "The elephants ran in two different directions. The women who died happened to be in the building which collapsed under the weight of the elephant. Another man who died may have been attacked by one of the elephants," said Sudhakaran.

Bindu PB, a resident and ward councillor, was on her way to the temple to take part in a procession when somebody screamed at her that elephants had turned violent. "All the people who gathered on roadsides immediately rushed to nearby houses. There was panic all around. We had an incident 5-6 years ago when an elephant turned violent, but at that time, the elephant was immediately reigned in. This time, the tragedy was unexpected. People who died were relatives and had long been associated with the temple and the festival," said Bindu.

As soon as the elephants were kept under check, rescue operations were underway. Ambulances ferrying injured people rushed to nearby hospitals. Video clips of the incident showed men struggling to cling onto elephants that were running, losing balance and falling down. Women holding children were seen frantically running away from the elephants, which were charging towards the crowd. The onlookers could be heard screaming and alerting others to move away from the elephants. "We have never had such a shocking event in our village during the temple festival. Everybody looks forward to the final day, and what happened today was heart-breaking," said Bindu.