Vaniyampuzha tribesman killed in elephant attack

A tribal man was killed in an elephant attack at Vaniyampuzha, near Munderi, in Pothukal grama panchayat in Nilambur, on Wednesday evening.

Billy, 56, came under the elephant attack as he was going home. Dozens of tribal families of the Vaniyampuzha hamlet across the Chaliyar river have been living in tarpaulin sheds in the jungle since their houses were destroyed in the floods of 2019.

As the hamlets across the Chaliyar were marooned for lack of a bridge, no medical aid could reach Billy in time. His body remained at Vaniyampuzha as the efforts to bring it to the mainland failed because of the swollen river.

Attempts to cross the river in a dinghy by Fire and Rescue Services personnel did not succeed due to heavy currents in the river. Authorities said they were trying to reach out to the tragedy stricken hamlet.