Thursday, September 03, 2009

Electrocuted mahout sticks to elephant for hours

In a strange incident, a mahout electrocuted to death while he was sitting on his elephant at Vankal village in Chikhli taluka of Navsari district, India. His body got stuck to the elephant, who was alive, at around 3.30pm. Foresters were unable to detach the body till late Monday evening.

According to forest officials, the yet unidentified mahout was passing through Vankal village when the incident occurred. "We were told by villagers that a mahout had died while sitting on an elephant. The villagers sought help to bring down the body as it was stuck to the elephant," range forest officer of Chikhli range in Navsari district SV Kedariya said.

"While passing under an electricity cable the mahout was electrocuted. Another person who was on the elephant jumped off and escaped. We are searching for the other person, who has fled," Kedariya said.

Following the shock, the elephant was also frightened and started running. After running for a while, it stopped in the village and villagers offered him food and water to calm it down. Soon, forest and police officials arrived and attempted to bring down the body.

"We are looking for another mahavat to bring down the body as we don't know the mental state of the elephant and it can cause harm to property and life. The mahavat will be arranged in an hour and the body will be brought down by 8 pm," Kedariya said.

"The mahavat who died is identified as Lachhu Kevat from Madhya Pradesh and he was accompanied by Dharmin Goswami, who ran away soon after the incident and returned after some time. Goswami made the elephant to sit on ground and the body was brought down at around 8.15 pm. The elephant is being brought to forest office in Chikhli," says S V Kedariya, RFO. The owner of the elephant has also been traced in MP and he is on his way to Chikhli, Kedariya adds.

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