Chinese tour guide killed by elephant

"Plai Uthen", the 17-year-old male elephant that charged into a crowd of foreign tourists after one of them pulled his tail in Bang Lamung district of Chon Buri on Thursday. A Chinese tour guide was killed and two tourists injured.(Photo by Chaiyot Pupattanapong)

CHON BURI: A Chinese tour guide was trampled to death by an angry bull elephant and two tourists injured in Bang Lamung district on Thursday evening.

Bang Lamung police and rescue workers were called to the scene around 5.30pm.



They found He Yongjie, 34, dead at an elephant camp in a fruit orchard named Sam Liam Thong Kham in Moo 1 of tambon Huai Yai.



He was stamped to death by “Plai Uthen”, a 17-year-old male elephant. His bag containing a passport and other personal documents were found by his body.



Two tourists who had been riding the elephant sustained injuries and were rushed to a nearby hospital.



Barriers around the camp were damaged.



Au Bamrung, 37, the mahout and owner, said two foreigners had been riding on the back of the elephant around the orchard under his supervision. As they passed some waiting tourists one of them pulled the elephant's tail, making him angry.



The elephant charged into the crowd and killed the guide. One of the tourists fell from the elephant's back but the other managed to hold on.



Sakda Malee, 17, a security guard, said scared tourists scattered across the camp in fear when the elephant ran at them. Some of them fell over and were slightly injured.



The tour guide’s body was taken to the Institute of Forensic Medicine for a post mortem examination. Authorities will inform his family.