Palakkad/Ernakulam: Wild elephants continued to trouble the people living close to forest in several parts of Kerala.  Two plantation workers were injured in a wild elephant attack at Ayyappanpadi near Mangalam Dam on Sunday. The injured, identified as migrant workers Monu (38) and Pinki (29), are currently undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Nemmara.

According to Manorama News, the jumbo attacked the duo while they were working on the plantation.

In Ernakulam's Kothamangalam, a herd of elephants destroyed a house at Mamalakandam in the wee hours of Sunday. A bedridden man inside the house had a narrow escape due to the timely intervention of neighbours. The house, owned by Denish Joseph, suffered extensive damage, with doors, windows, and furniture destroyed.

A month ago, the same house was attacked by an elephant. Speaking to Manorama News, a panchayat member claimed that although the government had announced compensation for the house owner, no action had been taken to distribute it.

Wild elephant attacks have increased in Kerala with the advent of summer. According to the official data submitted in the Kerala assembly in the first week of March, wild elephants killed 111 people in Kerala in five years, which is more than five times the fatalities caused by captive elephants. During this period, the amount spent on preventive measures by the government swelled by 100 per cent.