Kollam: A mahout ('paappaan') was seriously injured in an elephant attack in Keralapuram here on Sunday. Sachu, the mahout, was admitted to the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital. It is alleged that the elephant turned violent and attacked after mahout's assistant beat the elephant with a stick.

The incident took place at around 6 pm on Sunday. The mahout was attacked by the elephant brought for a festival at a nearby temple. The elephant attacked him while he was descending from the top of it to grab a bag lying down on the ground. Meantime, the mahout's assistant provoked the elephant by beating on its front leg using a stick. The enraged elephant attacked the mahout and assistant.

At first, everyone thought that the elephant had accidentally trampled Pappan. But as soon as the footage came out, it became clear that the elephant had attacked due to provocation.

It is learned that multiple bones of the mahout are broken and he is in critical condition.