Two wild elephants have gone on a rampage in the Indian state of Karnataka, crushing one person to death. One of the animals ran into a local college compound, causing panic.

 

Groups of people in the streets ran away or looked on in shock as the elephants butted a cow, ran into cars and nudged motorbikes.

Residents were advised to stay indoors and away from the elephants, which roamed into the city from a forest about 35 kilometres away.

Two other elephants, which also came from the forest, did not enter the city.

 

The young pair were eventually shot with tranquilliser darts and will be released back into the wild, while the other two have not been captured.

One official blamed the rampage on human encroachment into areas traditionally inhabited by elephants.

"Unregulated expansion of farm lands and increasing movement of people and vehicles through the elephant corridor are making the wild jumbos enter into villages and towns in search of food and shelter.