SRI LANKA ELEPHANT KILLS TOP BUDDHIST MONK

A senior Buddhist monk died in hospital Saturday, a day after being attacked by an elephant at his own temple near the capital, police said.

Bellanwila Wimalarathana, 77, was violently pushed to the ground by the tusker, but the mahout managed to prevent the monk from being gored, police said.

The monk was rushed to hospital but died a day later. He was also a vice chancellor of a state-run university and becomes the first high monk to be killed by a tamed elephant in the country.

The elephant was a gift to the temple by the government of Myanmar in mid 2013 and it had been named ''Myan Kumara''.

[Agencies]