Palakkad, Kerala: Three people were injured in two separate suspected wild elephant attacks in Kerala's Palakkad district early Thursday, adding to growing concerns over human-elephant conflict in the state.

The first incident was reported around 3 am at Mulli, a tribal settlement in Attappadi near the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border.

According to forest officials, a man sustained facial injuries after being allegedly attacked by an elephant while walking through a forested area.

However, officials said the victim was reportedly under the influence of alcohol, and authorities are yet to conclusively determine whether the injuries were caused by an elephant.

In the second incident, an autorickshaw carrying a woman passenger was allegedly overturned by a wild elephant near Chittoor at around 5.15 am. The woman and the driver suffered minor injuries and received treatment.

Forest officials said investigations are underway in both cases to verify whether elephants were responsible for the attacks.

The incidents come amid a series of recent elephant-related tragedies in Kerala.

On Wednesday, a 65-year-old man was killed in a wild elephant attack in Wayanad while residents and forest personnel were trying to drive the animal away from a populated area.

A day earlier, a woman lost her life in an elephant attack at Chinnakanal in Idukki district, a region frequently affected by elephant intrusions.

With concerns mounting, the Kerala government has announced the formation of a 500-member Special Reserve Force aimed at strengthening preventive measures and reducing human-wildlife conflict across vulnerable areas of the state.