In a tragic incident, an elderly couple was trampled to death by a wild elephant today at Vellapathy settlement in Boluvampatti forest range area on the outskirts.

A Vellingiri, 70, and his wife Bhagavathy, 58, of the settlement had gone to collect firewood around 2.30 pm, when an elephant appeared suddenly and attacked them. Vellingiri died on the spot. Bhagavathy managed to run some distance, but the pachyderm chased and gored her on her left thigh with its tusk.

Hearing the screams, people in the vicinity rushed there and managed to rescue and take her to the Government Hospital here, even as the male elephant went into a bushy area. However, she died some time later, police said.

The incident, the first such in 2017, occurred in the reserve forest, some 3 km inside Chinnar forest check post.