Nine elephants were electrocuted by electric power lines while drinking water from a leaking pipe at Dukwi village near Sua Pan in Botswana.

The elephants hit the overhead power lines which fell into the pool of water and electrocuted them, a wildlife news portal Africa Geographic reported on Wednesday.

The accident was confirmed by the Botswana wildlife ministry which says investigations have been opened, the report added.

The elephants are believed to be in search of water after they broke out from the nearby Makgadikgadi Pans Game Reserve.

Botswana hosts more elephants than any other country in Africa and a large number of them have been killed by poachers, according to Great Elephant Census.

The number of elephants is reported to have fallen sharply in the past decade and the worst in 25 years, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) said.