Terrifying moment elephant goes on rampage as it gores lorry driver to death and trashes cars in Indian temple attack

Published: 11:00, 9 May 2026 | Updated: 11:06, 9 May 2026 A lorry driver was gored to death by an elephant, while the animal's carer was left severely injured, after it broke free and went on a deadly rampage in India. Footage shows the bull elephant, named Mayyanad Parthasarathy, as he picks up a white car clean off the floor with his trunk, triggering a local man to duck.  The animal then defiantly drops the car, causing it to bounce on the ground.  Mayyanad continues to push his four-wheeled victim, tusk hoisted in the car's window, backwards while locals watch - some with rope and sticks in hand, seemingly in order to recapture the animal.  The elephant - which has a rope connecting his back foot with body - then rolls the battered car over multiple times, before he crunches and pulls up its bumper.  During the rampage on Friday May 1, the animal reportedly gored 40-year-old Vishnu to death and left its main handler Pradeep seriously injured.  Lorry driver Vishnu transported the elephant to the Sree Mahavishnu Temple in Kidangoor, Kerala, southern India, for blessings as part of a Hindu festival.  At around 9.15 the animal reportedly became aggressive and attacked Vishnu, who was from the nearby city of Kollam, after freeing himself from chains.  Footage shows the bull elephant, named Mayyanad Parthasarathy, as he picks up a white car clean off the floor with his trunk, while a local man ducks The animal defiantly drops the car, causing it to bounce on the ground The elephant - which has a rope connecting his back foot with body - then rolls the battered car over multiple times, before he crunches and pulls up its bumper The elephant proceeded to lift Vishnu with its trunk before trampling and goring the driver, according to local police. He was killed at the scene. It then charged Pradeep and injured the primary caretaker as he tried to intervene, causing him to be rushed to hospital.  The elephant's rampage - known as going into musth, a natural aggressive state - continued for two hours around the temple grounds and nearby streets.  Cars were overturned, scooters flipped, walls were damaged while tusks were rammed into cars.  Forest Department officials subdued the elephant around 12.30pm with tranquiliser darts, and was later secured near the Hindu temple.  It had been brought to the temple as part of traditional festivities involving captive elephants.  Local magistrates have launched an official probe into whether safety protocols were breached, and if the elephant was fit to be paraded in a crowded public space. The temple committee expressed 'deepest condolences' to the victim's family but has yet to comment on what will happen to the elephant. Musth is a period of heightened reproductive and aggressive behaviour in male elephants.  It typically lasts between two to three months, although this changes when in captivity, and increases unpredictable behaviour. Elephants have been captured in India for thousands of years to be part of festivals.  They are considered a cultural icon in India and are revered because they are considered the embodiment of the Hindu god Lord Ganesha, which has an elephant head. Due to their reverence, the animals are considered holy. However their use within festivities has received criticism due to their handling and care.  Typically elephants in India will be leased out during festivals. They will be decorated in garlands and bells, while the deity's idol will be mounted on to the animal's back.  The elephant, also with men sitting atop it, will then circle the temple three or four times with a background of music, trumpets and drumming. Due to their sheer size, the control of the animals can also prove challenging, causing injuries and fatalities.  May 1 marks the primary Hindu festival in India of Buddha Purnima, also known as Vaishakha Purnima. The sacred day marks the birth of Gautama Buddha, or Lord Buddha.  The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.