Wild elephant spooked by torchlight kills villager in Thailand

A wild elephant that was spooked by a torchlight killed a villager in Thailand.

The jumbo had emerged from a forest and wandered over to the house of Nikom Sompim, 58, in Nakhon Nayon province at around 9pm local time on September 6.

Curious about the noise late at night, Nikom ventured outside and beamed his torchlight through his yard. However, the sudden flash was said to have angered the animal.

CCTV footage shows the elephant trumpeting as it stomped in front of Nikom's home.

The terrified man tried to flee, but it caught up to him and stomped on his body, reportedly crushing his torso.

Neighbours called wildlife officers to drive the elephant back into the woods.

Nikom was rushed to the Nakhon Nayok Hospital, but died of severe injuries at 6:34am on September 7. Doctors said he suffered severely crushed internal organs, abdominal bleeding, and a head laceration.

Nikom's body was taken to the HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Medical Center for a post-mortem exam before being handed over to his relatives for a funeral at Wat Tamnak temple.

His neighbour, Daeng Jitphong, 62, said: 'I heard the loud noise and I when I checked outside, I saw Nikom lying face-down on the ground with the elephant nearby.

'I called the other neighbours for help and we all waited for the elephant to move away before carrying his body. We were afraid it would see us and attack again.'

Nikom's mother, Buakhai Sonpim, 73, said: 'I did not know that my son went out of the house that night. I only found out that he had died in the morning. I am devastated.

'This kind of incident should not have happened. I want the relevant agencies to take action and address this issue seriously.'

Earlier this year, British newspaper The Daily Telegraph reported that wild elephants were 'terrorising Thailand' with 'surging numbers' causing 'deadly consequences for local communities'.

The Eastern Elephants Education Centre claims to have tracked 90 human fatalities from elephant attacks in the country since 2018.

There are believed to be around 3,500 elephants living in the wild. The main threats are habitat loss and fragmentation, poaching, and conflict with humans.