Elephant tramples RRT team member to death

: A member of the Rapid Response Team (RRT) from the Forest department was trampled to death by an elephant at Chinnathadagam on the outskirts of the city early Thursday, police said.

The incident occurred when Venkatesh (28) and his two colleagues were bursting firecrackers to drive away the rogue elephant, they said.

The pachyderm suddenly charged at Venkatesh and trampled him to death. The two others scaped unhurt.

Venkatesh and his colleagues had been entrusted the task of chasing away elephants straying into human habitations at Thadagam, Chinnathadagam and Periyanaickenpalayam hamlets, police said.

Venkatesh had joined the RRT just three months back, they said.

His colleagues, relatives and some members of the public later staged a dharna outside the government hospital, where his body was taken, demanding that forest department personnel be provided safety gear like flashlights, vehicles and adequate amount of fire-crackers, police said.