Forest department officials said the attack occurred at about 6:30 a.m. as Vijayan was walking home from a work shed. Local residents reported that the animal, known locally as “Chakkakompan,” charged after Vijayan tried to flee, crushing him on the spot.
The incident marks the second fatal elephant attack in the Chinnakkanal area within a week and brings the death toll from such incidents in the Devikulam range to four over the past four months.
Earlier fatalities include a 30‑year‑old migrant labourer, Shiv Kumar of Madhya Pradesh, who was killed on September 17 near Ayyanpara in Santhanpara; a 68‑year‑old Tamil Nadu farmer, S. Ochappan, who died on August 27 at Thalakkulam near Pooppara; and a 36‑year‑old resident, Mari, who was killed on June 8, with her 11‑year‑old son injured in the same attack.
Authorities have classified the Devikulam forest corridor as a high‑risk human‑wildlife conflict zone and are conducting risk assessments to mitigate further tragedies, though no specific preventive measures have been announced yet.