A wild elephant killed a man by throwing him to the ground before trampling him to death after the huge animal rampaged into a village.

Two elephants strayed into the village in Burdwan district in India on March 20 after being separated from their herd.

They damaged paddy crops in a nearby field and one of them flung the man in the air, then trampled him to death.

Villagers tried unsuccessfully to chase the animals away.

Forest officials, who arrived quickly on the scene, also failed to calm the animals.

Attacks by elephants have been on the rise in eastern India in recent few months.

Wildlife experts say the destruction of habitats in the country is one of the main reasons for the increase in encounters between wild animals and villagers in rural areas of India.