BREAKING: Terrified residents sleep on rooftops as rampaging elephant kills 22 people

A community in India is living in fear of a wild elephant that has claimed the lives of 20 people, including two children, whilst on an uncontrollable and violent rampage

Crowds of people surround the violent and clearly distressed elephant and try to subdue it in India

A violent elephant has been rampaging through an Indian village and so far killed 22 people

Villagers in India have been left fearing for their lives and sleeping on rooftops as an aggressive wild elephant that has killed 22 people remains on the loose.

Residents of the West Singhbhum district of Jharkhand are being forced to leave their homes and retreat to above-ground spots for safety as the one-tusked, young male elephant continues to run through the area on a violent rampage, smashing walls and leaving destruction in its wake.

Believed to be in its mating phase known as musth, elephants often exhibit intense sexual libido and aggression during this period of time, which is known to last as long as 20 days.

Blurry image shows elephant in distance as people gather around and try to take it down

The elephant has been on its violent spree since January 1 and villagers are now living in fear

The huge creature, which began its frenzied attack on the first day of the year has now tragically claimed the lives of over 20 people, including four children and an eight month old baby.

Authorities in India have deployed at least 80 forest officers who are now attempting to corner the creature and use tranquillisers to subdue it.

While the majority of villagers are hiding out in fear and doing all they can to avoid crossing paths with the elephant, a small group of villagers have also reportedly joined in the hunt to bring the rampage to an end before more lives are claimed.

Aditya Narayan, a division forest officer of the Chaibasa district, explained that while it is rare for elephants in their mating phase to attack humans in such a way, this elephants behavior has been particularly surprising.

Boy stands with a hole in the wall of his house caused by elephant

The huge creature has caused destruction locally and residents are now sleeping of rooftops or fleeing their homes to avoid getting caught in it(Image: WION)

He said: “Anyone who came in front of it was trampled. In one family alone four people were killed. It is unprecedented.

“We have seen elephants in musth in the past, but they’d rarely harm people,” he added.

The International Fund for Animal Welfare say that elephants are unlikely to attack humans unprovoked, and usually do so when they feel threatened and behave defensively.

According to the group, “human-elephant conflict” has risen in recent years and will continue to do so as elephants and people increasingly share habitats which mean they are often left competing for food sources and space.

Group of people chasing after rampaging elephant in India

Authorities have deployed park officers to subdue the creature but attempts have so far been unsuccessful

Ifaw explains: “As climate change raises temperatures and changes rainfall patterns, resources become even more scarce and elephants get pushed into new areas, including communal lands.

“Humans face their own challenges as they must move deeper into elephant territory to collect water or firewood. The competition becomes fierce and life-threatening—for people and wildlife.”