Elephant attacks kill two workers in South India

A 70‑year‑old tea plantation worker, M Balasubramaniam, was killed on 2 August 2026 when a wild elephant entered the coffee estate at Kariyasholai in the Gudalur Forest Division of Tamil Nadu. He was found unconscious and later declared dead at the Government Hospital in Pandalur; his family received an interim compensation of ₹50,000.

On the same day, a 55‑year‑old daily‑wage laborer, Balakrishna Gowda, was fatally attacked by an elephant near Muchiradka in Rekhya village, Belthangady taluk, Karnataka. His body was recovered from a nearby ravine after a search by residents and forest officials. Senior forest officers and police inspected the site and assisted in the recovery operation.