Elephant tramples on fair visitors in NE Thailand
published : 20 Jan 2025 at 08:07
writer: Gary Boyle
ORIGINAL SOURCE/WRITER: Online Reporters
An elephant trampled on five people at a fair when fireworks were lit during the opening ceremony in the northeastern province of Nong Bua Lam Phu on Saturday night, but no-one was seriously hurt.
According to local officials, the incident happened at the Red Cross fair in Nong Bua Lam Phu's Muang district at about 7.30pm on Saturday.
The 10-year-old male elephant and its mahout from Surin province arrived at the fair to sell sugarcane for fair visitors to feed the pachyderm.
When fireworks were lit during the fair's opening ceremony, the startled elephant ran over five people, causing minor injuries.
Officials caught up with the elephant and the mahout a few kilometres from the fair venue. The mahout said he had not asked permission to enter the fair or move the elephant from its home province of Surin to Nong Bua Lam Phu.
Vocabulary
- fair: a public event to show people about something or to entertain people - งาน
- injury (noun): physical damage done to a person or a part of their body - อาการบาดเจ็บ
- mahout: someone who trains and drives elephants - ควาญช้าง, คนเลี้ยงช้าง
- minor: not important; small; having little influence or effect - เล็กน้อย
- official: someone with an important position in an organisation - เจ้าหน้าที่
- pachyderm: a type of animal with a very thick skin, for example, an elephant - สัตว์หนังหนาและมีกีบเท้าเช่น แรด ช้าง
- permission: allowing someone to do something - การอนุญาต,การอนุมัติ,การยินยอม
- startled: to be suddenly very surprised in a way that slightly shocks or frightens you - ผวา, ขวัญหาย
- trample: to step heavily on something or someone, causing damage - เหยียบย่ำ
