Kabali, a wild elephant that has been stirring panic along the Athirappilly-Malakkappara route, attacked a KSRTC bus on Wednesday night. However, no one was injured in the incident. It is suspected that the tusker was in musth.
The elephant attacked the bus at around 8 p.m. at the first hairpin curve near Ambalappara on Athirappilly-Malakkappara stretch. The elephant, which had been walking in front of the bus for sometime, suddenly turned violent and charged towards the bus, according to bus staff. It pierced the front portion of the bus below the windscreen with its tusks and lifted the vehicle. However, no one was injured int the attack.
The elephant returned to the forest after almost two hours. The bus, which was scheduled to reach Malakkappara at 8.30 p.m., reached there at 11 p.m.
Just a week ago, a private bus on the same stretch had to reverse for almost eight km, to escape from the same elephant.
Wild elephant Kabali blocking a vehicle on Athirappilly-Malakkappara road on Wednesday night | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The bus workers and the 30-odd passengers had a miraculous escape as the driver managed to drive the vehicle in reverse gear for almost one hour.
There is restriction for tourists on Vazhachal-Malakkappara route. The elephant has frequently been creating panic along the stretch by chasing vehicles and blocking traffic for the last few months. According to the forest officials, the elephant is in the peak of its musth.
