Representative image of an elephant.
Credit: iStock Photo
Thiruvananthapuram: A cameraman of Mathrubhumi news channel was killed in a wild elephant attack while on duty at Palakkad in Kerala on Wednesday.
A V Mukesh, 34, came under the attack while he was taking video of wild elephants crossing a river. The incident took place at Kottekkad where wild elephants are often spotted.
The channel crew reached the spot by around 7 am after locals
alerted them that wild elephants were entering farm lands and
damaging crops.
Mukesh and other two members of the channel crew ran away as the elephants rushed towards them. But Mukesh fell and was attacked by the elephant. Though he was rushed to hospital, life could not be saved.
The other day a wild elephant was killed after being knocked down by a train. A case was registered against the loco pilot on charges of violating the speed restrictions imposed in the region owing to frequent instances of wild elephants crossing the railway track.
Mukesh, who hailed from Malappuram, had worked in Delhi for a long time and also used to write a column for mathrubhumi.com. He leaves
behind mother Devi, wife Tisha and sister Haritha. His father Unni
predeceased him.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, opposition leader V D
Satheesan, BJP state president K Surendran, Governor Arif Mohammed
Khan and various forums of journalists condoled the death of Mukesh.