Elderly woman killed by wild elephant in eastern Thailand, 2 relatives injured

An elderly lady was trampled to death by a wild elephant at a rubber plantation last night in Chachoengsao province in eastern Thailand. Her daughter and granddaughter survived the attack but are badly injured.

The women say they had abandoned their car to walk home because the road was undrivable after heavy rain, which is when they crossed paths with the wild elephant.

At 9pm yesterday, officers from Tha Takiap Police Station were notified that one person was killed and two more were injured by a wild elephant near Khlong Si Yat reservoir in Nong Rua village. Police and rescue workers from Phanom Sarakham Rescue Service rushed to the scene.

Police found the body of 73 year old Samran lying on her back. She had been stamped on by the elephant and suffered several broken bones.

Samran’s 43 year old daughter Sureeporn, and 19 year old granddaughter Charanporn, had also been trampled on by the elephant. Both women were conscious and able to talk but had suffered severe back injuries in the attack. Rescuers took Sureeporn and Charanporn to Tha Takiap Hospital to be treated for their injuries.

The women told police that during the day, they had taken Grandma Samran to a clinic in Prachin Buri province to receive eye treatment. They were driving home when the road became muddy and wet from the rain. The road was undrivable so the woman abandoned their car and decided to walk the rest of the way home.

The women were using the torch on their phones to navigate their way through the rubber plantation towards their house – a distance of about 500 metres. Around 300 metres into the walk, they encountered a wild elephant.

The elephant attacked all three women, but Sureeporn and Charanporn were able to escape in the end despite their injuries. The women said that being old and frail, Samran couldn’t escape. The women said the elephant stamped on Samran’s chest, killing her.

The elephant came out of the Khao Ang Rue Nai Wildlife Sanctuary, located on the western side of the Cardamom Mountains. The wildlife sanctuary lies at the intersection of five eastern provinces of Thailand – Chachoengsao, Chon Buri, Rayong, Chanthaburi, and Sa Kaeo.

Samran’s body has been taken to Tha Takiap Hospital for an autopsy to be carried out.

Three days ago, a man in Hua Hin was trampled to death by a stampede of wild elephants who had come into his village looking for food.

Last week, an elephant ripped his mahout’s body in half in Phang Nga province. Police think the elephant was annoyed at its owner for making it haul rubberwood in the hot weather.

SOURCE: Sanook