Resort where elephant trampled woman to death had not taken safety measures: Kerala minister

After a woman tourist from Kerala was trampled to death by a wild elephant at a resort near Meppadi in Wayanad district, Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran said that the resort had not taken any necessary safety precautions.

According to police, the incident took place on Saturday night when Shahana. S, 26, a college lecturer hailing from Kannur, after hearing the trumpeting of an elephant ran and was trampled to death by a wild elephant that chased her.

She was staying in one of the tents being operated by the private resort near the forest area, along with two family members when the incident happened.

As per the post-mortem report, there was a serious injury to the internal organs. The initial conclusion of the postmortem was that the elephant trampled in the chest. Police said that the body was released to relatives after the post-mortem on Sunday.

"The Wayanad District Collector and Tourism Department officials visited the spot. Preliminary inspection revealed that the company was operating tents close to the forest and had not taken any necessary safety precautions. The company did not have the license of Meppadi panchayat. A stop-memo has been issued to the company which has made a serious mistake in taking security precautions," said Tourism Minister.

He said that Kerala is the first state in the country to have an adventure tourism guideline and registration. "The guideline will soon be released for outdoor stays, including tents, based on this tragic incident. The Adventure Tourism Promotion Society has been instructed to do so. In addition to the existing norms, this guideline will also be mandatory for such activities," he said.

( With inputs from ANI )