The postmortem report said that the 15-year old wild elephant was pregnant and died of serious injuries caused due to explosion in her lower jaw. "The jaw of the elephant was crushed in the explosion," forest sources said.
According to the locals, the fruit was kept for trapping wild pigs who destroyed crops. However, others said that a local deliberately offered it to the jumbo.
Nonetheless, as soon the elephant chewed the fruit, the crackers exploded inside the elephant's mouth injuring its mouth and tongue very badly, forest sources said. The elephant ran through the streets in search of water and eventually ended up in the Velliyar river.
