SHOCK DEATH

22-Year-Old Tourist Gored to Death by Elephant at Sanctuary

The elephant was likely panicked due to the visitors at the sanctuary, according to experts.

A 22-year-old tourist was killed by an elephant in southern Thailand after bathing the animal at a sanctuary, officials said. The 22-year-old Spanish student, Blanca Ojanguren García, was traveling with her boyfriend to Yao Yai when she was killed on Friday. García, originally from Valladolid, was washing the elephant at the Koh Yao Elephant Care Center when she was gored to death in front of her boyfriend, police said. Experts told local reporters that the elephant was likely panicked over the visitors at the sanctuary, according to The Independent. Elephant bathing is popular among tourists who visit the country. Spain’s foreign ministry and Bangkok embassy released a statement confirming the death of García. “The Spanish consulate in Bangkok is in contact with the victim’s relatives and offering all the necessary consular assistance, as is normal in these types of circumstances,” the statement read. According to the outlet, García was a student at the University of Navarra in Spain, but was living in Taiwan. Less than a month ago, a 49-year-old woman was killed by an elephant attack at Phu Kradueng National Park in Thailand.