A horrifying tragedy unfolded at a popular elephant tourism camp in India after a woman was crushed to death when two elephants suddenly turned aggressive and began violently fighting near visitors.
The incident reportedly took place at Dubare Elephant Camp, a well-known tourist attraction in Karnataka famous for allowing visitors to watch elephants bathe, feed and interact up close.
According to reports, the 33-year-old victim, identified as Ranjan from Tamil Nadu, had visited the camp with her husband and their three-year-old daughter.
Witnesses said two adult elephants named Kanchan and Marthanda were being bathed near a river when they suddenly became aggressive and began attacking each other.
Mahouts at the scene reportedly attempted to control the animals using ropes and verbal commands, but the confrontation quickly escalated as the elephants violently rammed and wrestled each other near the water.
Panic broke out among tourists as visitors scrambled to flee from the raging animals.
During the chaos, one of the elephants reportedly lost balance and collapsed directly onto the woman, pinning her underwater.
Terrifying footage captured by witnesses allegedly showed the woman trapped beneath the massive animal in muddy water before the elephant repeatedly stepped on her while attempting to get back up.
Her husband, who was reportedly carrying their young daughter at the time, desperately tried to rescue her despite the danger posed by the fighting elephants.
However, he was only able to pull her away after the elephants briefly moved aside and her motionless body drifted with the water.
Although staff eventually managed to regain control of the animals, the woman reportedly died before reaching hospital due to multiple fractures and severe crush injuries across her body.
Local forestry officials later confirmed the tragedy and announced compensation of two million Indian rupees would be provided to the victim’s family.
Authorities also warned that elephants can become highly aggressive and unpredictable during mating periods, with sudden violent behaviour not uncommon in both wild and captive environments.
Following the incident, the elephant camp and nearby wildlife facilities reportedly introduced stricter safety measures banning tourists from approaching elephants at close range.
Visitors are now required to remain at least 30 metres away when observing elephants bathing or moving around the area.
