COLOMBO: A Hindu religious festival in Sri Lanka ended in chaos after an elephant in the procession panicked, with 13 people in the crowd injured as they fled, police said on Sunday.

Video footage shared on social media showed one of the elephant’s keepers trying to pull the agitated animal by its tail in a desperate attempt to control it, while screaming devotees lining the street rushed to escape.

The images show a parade of elephants covered in red, blue and gold robes from trunk to tail, in front of a large crowd while cymbals clanged.

Thirteen people were taken to hospital and treated for minor injuries in Kataragama, 280 kilometres south of the capital Colombo, a police spokesman said.

A spokesman for the state-run Kataragama hospital said on Sunday, the day after the incident, that all the injured had been discharged. Elephants are considered sacred in Sri Lanka, but animal cruelty laws are rarely enforced.

Animal rights groups have criticised the widespread use of elephants at temple ceremonies in Sri Lanka. There have been instances when the animals have gone berserk at parades involving loud mu­sic and fireworks.

Published in Dawn, July 8th, 2024