Thiruvananthapuram, May 19 : Two men were killed when a wild buffalo attacked them in Erumeli in Kerala's Kottayam district. Chackochen was busy reading the day's newspaper at his house on Friday, when a wild buffalo attacked him and he died instantly. His friend, Thomas who lives next door to Chackochen also was attacked by the buffalo, and despite fighting for his life at the Kottayam Medical College hospital, succumbed to injuries. Outraged by the attack and the deaths, the locals assembled in large numbers and blamed the forest officials for their callousness in tackling this menace. Angry protesters took to the main road and blocked traffic. "Just as people live peacefully in towns and cities, we too have the right to live peacefully. The problem today is in yesteryears our forefathers used to ensure that adequate food is there for the wild animals, such a mechanism is not there now and hence the wild animals stray into human settlement areas," said an angry local. Anto Antony, the Congress MP of the area said, "Sad are the state of affairs as there seems to be no action to the genuine problems by the authorities. "Two lives have gone and if lives of human beings have no value, then what's the use of a government? Steps should be taken to tackle this menace and the wild animal should be shot dead," said Antony. Incidentally, a similar episode was reported in Trissur, when a wild buffalo strayed into an area, but no untoward incident occurred as the wild buffalo was chased away. Of late the man-animal conflict in Kerala, especially in the areas bordering forests, have increased, and the locals have taken to protests. /IANS