Jump directly to the content

THIS is the shocking moment a furious elephant crushed a man to death after a crowd of workers teased a herd passing through a tea plantation.

The animals were calmly crossing a road in north east India in search of food when a swarm of workers started taunting and chasing the elephants in a bid to scare them off.

The tea plantation workers taunted and chased the elephants to scare them off
5
The tea plantation workers taunted and chased the elephants to scare them offCredit: Tahir Ibn Manzoor
The moment the man was trampled to death by one of the enraged elephants
5
The moment the man was trampled to death by one of the enraged elephantsCredit: Tahir Ibn Manzoor

Shocking video footage shows one of the elephants becoming enraged by the shouting and car horns before charging towards the screaming crowd.

After darting towards the tea garden workers, the huge Indian elephant made a beeline for a man who had stumbled by the roadside while trying to escape.

He was trampled to death before the elephant returned to the herd on the opposite side of the road in Letekujan, in the state of Assam.

The man, identified as Pascal Munda, was rushed to the Golaghat Civil Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Moments earlier, the locals were seen beating the ground with shoes and shirts and shouting in an attempt to move the herd from the road, reports.

Cops investigating the incident are looking at whether the man provoked the elephant.

Vikas Kumar, a well-known elephant expert, said: "It is really sad to see workers and passersby teasing the gain animal.

"The wild tuskers are agitated only after they're being irritated and in this case, unfortunately, it had happened."

At least 100 people in India are killed each year by elephants, though the number can be as high as 300, according to the WWF.

The organisation said the close proximity of elephants to villages and towns in India means there is often conflict when the animals migrate or forage for food.

The state's environment and forests minister, Parimal Suklabaidya, said the Assam state administration has taken measures to stem the conflicts between humans and elephants in the region.

The huge Indian elephant made a beeline for a man who had stumbled by the roadside
5
The huge Indian elephant made a beeline for a man who had stumbled by the roadsideCredit: Tahir Ibn Manzoor
The enraged elephant trampled the man to death
5
The enraged elephant trampled the man to deathCredit: Tahir Ibn Manzoor
The elephant returned to the herd on the opposite side of the road after trampling the man
5
The elephant returned to the herd on the opposite side of the road after trampling the manCredit: Tahir Ibn Manzoor
Hungry elephant smashes through a kitchen wall to search for snacks in Thailand home
Topics