Coimbatore: Four people, including a 12-year-old girl and two women, were trampled to death by a tusker at Ganeshapuram and Vellalore in Coimbatore city in the early hours of Friday.
The deceased have been identified as Gayathri, 12, daughter of Vijayakumar of Ganeshapuram, P Palanisamy, 73, of Kambar Street at Vellalore, B Nagarathinam, 50, and her friend M Jothimani, 68, of Vellalore.
The tusker came out of the forest on Wednesday night and attacked two anti-poaching watchers near BK Pudur. The tusker was sent back to the forest in the early hours of Thursday. Two special teams were deployed in Madukkarai forest on Thursday night to monitor the elephant.
However, the elephant — aged between 20 and 25 — came out of the forest and entered residential area at Ganeshapuram near Podanur in the early hours of Friday, The Times of India reported.
Gayathri and her father Vijayakumar were sleeping in the front yard of their house when the tusker attacked them. The tusker attacked the girl’s father who suffered minor injuries. It then attacked Gayathri who died on the spot. The incident happened around 3.15am.
The elephant moved to Vellalore and attacked Palanisamy, a farmer who died on the spot.
The elephant later attacked Nagarathinam and Jothimani. They also died on the spot.
Forest officials attempted to chase away the elephant to the forest. But it continued to roam in the residential area. The officials planned to tranquilise it.
Around 100 police personnel were deployed in the area.
Coimbatore district collector TN Hariharan and city police commissioner A Amalraj arrived at the spot.
Chief conservator of forest I Anwardeen said four kumkis were being taken to the spot.