A 55 year old man was trampled to death by an elephant in Shoolagiri on Tuesday.
The victim, Chithappa, and his wife Munirathna, both employed as labourers in Hosur, used to walk over two km every day to take a bus to work at 6 a.m. On Tuesday, they were walking along a stretch fringing the forest when two elephants that were spotted in the forests a week ago, chased them.
According to sources, Chithappa was trampled to death , while Munirathana hid behind a bush. In a related incident, Durvasan, an employee of Tangedco in Shoolagiri, was attacked by an elephant in A. Jettipalli around the same time. He was admitted to the Krishnagiri Government Hospital with fracture.
Following the two incidents, a local holiday was declared for the government middle school in Thorakurruki in lieu of safety of children.