Kerala: 21-year-old woman dies after palm tree uprooted by wild elephant falls on her in Ernakulam

Ernakulam: A tragic accident in Chembankuzhy, Kothamangalam taluk, on Saturday (Dec 14) evening claimed the life of a 21-year-old girl when a large palm tree branch reportedly fell on her, allegedly uprooted by a wild elephant. The boy riding the motorcycle sustained injuries in the incident. The victim, Ann Mary C., was a third-year electrical engineering student at MA College, Kothamangalam, and hailed from Thrissur's Pudukad.

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The injured rider, Altaf Abubacker, also 21, is a third-year mechanical engineering student at the same college. Although both were immediately taken to a private hospital in Kothamangalam, Ann Mary tragically did not survive.

The body of Ann Mary was taken to her hometown today after the postmortem was completed at Kalamassery Medical College Hospital around 11:30 am. Minister P. Rajeev and Kothamangalam MLA Antony John were among those who arrived to offer their condolences. Ann Mary's classmates and teachers also gathered to pay their respects.

Althaf was riding the bike, with Ann Mary on the pillion seat. The tree branch knocked down by the elephant fell directly on Ann Mary. Althaf was also thrown off the bike. The out-of-control bike traveled about 25 meters before crashing into a ditch. The Chembankuzhy Forest Station was nearby, and forest guards quickly arrived at the scene. They managed to drive the elephants back into the forest and immediately took the injured students to the hospital.

Despite being initially taken to Neriamangalam and later to Kothamangalam, Ann Mary's life could not be saved. Althaf, who had fractured ribs, was later transferred to a hospital in Kochi. The tragic incident occurred in an area with several houses along the roadside. Local residents, accusing the forest department of neglect despite the severity of the incident, organized a protest march to the forest department office.

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• Ann Mary death
• Kothamangalam incident
• elephant uproots palm tree