A tragic incident occurred on December 14 in Chembankuzhy, Kothamangalam, when a 21-year-old woman, Ann Mary C., was killed after a palm tree branch fell on her, reportedly uprooted by a wild elephant. Ann Mary, a third-year electrical engineering student at MA College, Kothamangalam, was riding pillion on a motorcycle with her classmate Altaf Abubacker, a mechanical engineering student, when the branch struck her. Altaf sustained injuries and was later transferred to a hospital in Kochi.
The accident happened when the elephant uprooted the palm tree, causing the branch to fall directly on Ann Mary, throwing Altaf off the bike. The bike continued to travel 25 meters before crashing into a ditch. The nearby Chembankuzhy Forest Station quickly responded, with forest guards managing to drive the elephant back into the forest and assisting the injured students. Despite immediate medical attention, Ann Mary tragically succumbed to her injuries, while Altaf was treated for fractured ribs.
Following the tragic event, the community expressed outrage, accusing the forest department of neglect, as the incident occurred in an area with several houses along the roadside. Local residents organized a protest march to the forest department office. Minister P. Rajeev and Kothamangalam MLA Antony John visited the family to offer condolences, as classmates and teachers of Ann Mary gathered to pay their respects.
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