In a tragic incident, a 33-year-old woman from Chennai, Jinsu, died after being crushed to death during an elephant fight in Debare. In an act of kindness, the woman’s family decided to donate her eyes.
Jinsu, who is a native of Pallavaran, Chennai, visited the Dubare elephant camp in Kushalnagar taluk, where she watched elephants being bathed.
The accident took place during the bathing session. An elephant named Kanchan attacked another tuskless jumbo, Marthanda.
The staff at the location attempted to control the animals, but they failed as the fight continued. Kanchan had driven one of its tusks into Kanchan.
During the altercation, one of the tuskers lost its balance and fell onto the tourist. As Marthanda tried to get back up, it ended up trampling the woman further, causing fatal injuries.
It took ten minutes for the elephant handlers to bring the situation under control. Jinsu died after succumbing to her injuries on her way to the hospital.
A day later, Marthanda also died after sustaining injuries from the attack.
Despite going through the tragic ordeal, Jinsu’s husband and family decided to donate her eyes at Kushalnagar hospital.
Karnataka Forest, Ecology and Environment Minister Eshwar B Khandre expressed grief over the incident and issued an order to tighten tourist safety measures across camps in the state.
The minister directed officials to ensure that tourists maintain a minimum distance of 100 feet from elephants during bathing sessions.
Senior forest officials said that neither elephant had attacked tourists directly.
A day after a 33-year-old Chennai tourist lost her life during a clash between two elephants, one of the animals involved, 35-year-old Marthanda, has died from severe injuries sustained in the fight.
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Dubare Elephant Camp pic.twitter.com/tR73mcXams