Elephant tramples 70-year-old woman to death in Tamil Nadu

A 70-year-old woman was trampled to death by a wild elephant near Pannimadai on the city outskirts, early Tuesday.

The incident occurred when Neelavathi was on her way to a temple at Varapalayam around 5 AM, police said. The woman noticed an elephant standing in the area and attempted to run for safety.

However, the jumbo chased and lifted her with its trunk before hurling the woman on the ground killing her on the spot, police said.

Some passers-by who noticed the body alerted the police and forest department officials.

A large number of villagers gathered at the spot and staged protests with the victim's body demanding immediate action by the district administration.

The protesters dispersed after officials assured to take necessary steps to prevent such incidents. Further investigations are on, police added.