Elephant Kills Spanish Vacationer Whereas She Was Bathing the Animal in Thailand: Reviews

A 22-year-old Spanish vacationer was killed by an elephant in Thailand whereas she was bathing the animal at an elephant middle, in accordance with reviews.

Blanca Ojanguren García, from Valladolid in northwest Spain, was bathing an elephant at Koh Yao Elephant Care on Friday, Jan. 3, when the elephant killed her, per translated reviews from Spanish newspapers El Mundo and El Pais.

García, a legislation and worldwide relations scholar on the College of Navarra, was pushed by the animal’s trunk, El Mundo reported, citing police within the Koh Yao Yai, Thailand.

Earlier reviews famous that the elephant gored the coed, however Spanish information company EFE verified that she was not gored, per the Each day Mail. El Mundo additionally reported her dying was not attributable to the elephant’s tusks.

In keeping with El Mundo, which cited the elephant middle’s proprietor, 18 folks — together with the sufferer’s boyfriend — had been current for the assault and nobody else was injured. She was rushed to an area hospital and died.

A contact for Koh Yao Elephant Care didn’t instantly reply to PEOPLE’s request for touch upon Sunday, Jan. 5.

Later that day, College of Navarra’s legislation college issued a press release on X (previously Twitter), because it shared its condolences and requested for prayers.

Valladolid Mayor Jesús Julio Carnero shared a tribute to García on X on Friday, alongside a picture of her, as he supplied his “deepest condolences” to her family members in a translated message.

Per El Pais, sources from Spain’s Ministry of Overseas Affairs stated that the consulate in Bangkok was involved with the household of the sufferer — who the Each day Mail reported had been finding out overseas at Tamkang College.

Koh Yao Elephant Care remained closed following her dying, per the Each day Mail and El Mundo.

In keeping with the Spanish publication, the middle’s proprietor stated they’ve three elephants on website, together with the 50-year-old feminine elephant concerned within the incident, and get about 10 to 30 every day guests.

Koh Yao Elephant Care’s obvious final submit on Fb earlier than the reported assault was a New 12 months’s submit, that includes a picture of a household watching and recording an elephant whereas sitting on a bench.

In keeping with World Animal Safety, practically 2,800 “captive elephants stay in tourism venues” throughout the nation, with Thailand additionally being dwelling to fifteen% of the 52,000 Asian elephants “at present dwelling within the wild.”

The most recent reported elephant assault comes lower than a month after a 49-year-old lady died after reportedly being attacked by an elephant after strolling in Thailand’s Phu Kradueng Nationwide Park.

On Fb, Phu Kradueng Nationwide Park confirmed {that a} customer died following wild elephants attacking vacationers on Dec. 11, with the park providing its “deepest condolences to the bereaved household.”