A 22-year-old Spanish tourist has died after being hit and knocked down by an elephant at a popular animal sanctuary in Thailand, reports Daily Mail.
Blanca Ojanguren Garcia from Valladolid was bathing an elephant in the Koh Yao sanctuary on the Thai island of Yao Yai yesterday when the animal gave her a fatal blow. Garcia was a law and international relations student. After the impact, she was rushed to a nearby hospital, where she later died, according to the Daily Mail.
According to a Spanish national newspaper El Paísthe incident was confirmed by local police and the Elephant Care Center, which is currently closed. Earlier reports said that the student was stabbed by an elephant with its tusk, but the EFE agency has since confirmed that this was not the case. At the time of the accident, there were about 18 people at the scene, including Garcia’s boyfriend. No one else is reported to have been injured.
The Spanish woman was a student at the University of Navarra, but lived in Taiwan while attending a six-month exchange at Tamkang University. She was supposed to finish her undergraduate studies this year.
The Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the consulate in Bangkok is in contact with the victim’s family. Her body was taken to a hospital on the island of Phuket. The mayor of Valladolid, Jesus Julio Carnero, expressed his deepest condolences to the family through a post on Platform X.
Bathing with elephants is a popular tourist activity in Southeast Asia, and Thailand has a population of about 3,500 elephants. According to World Animal Protection, an animal welfare organization, about 2,800 elephants live in tourist centers across the country. Elephants rarely show aggressive behavior, but may react if they feel threatened or want to protect their young.
(TYPE/Source: Daily Mail/El Pais)
