Major Tragedy Averted, Say Eyewitnesses

Minister seeks report from collector

- LESLY JOSEPH @Kozhikode

The toll of the tragedy at Manakulangara Bhagavathy Temple, Kuruvangad, on Thursday would have been much higher had the elephants rushed straight at the crowd or if it all happened a little later.

The festival is quite popular and attended by hundreds of people. Since Thursday was the last day of the festival, a large number of devotees had been arriving at the temple, said Bindu P B, Anela-Kuruvangad ward councillor.

"However, at the time of the incident, there was not much crowd near the elephants. Things would have been much worse had the incident taken place a little later," she said.