BANGKOK, Thailand, Jan 20: A terrifying incident occurred in Thailand when a spooked elephant trampled five festival-goers. The 10-year-old elephant, named Plai Khun Thong, and its 46-year-old keeper, Sanga, arrived at a fairground in Nong Bua Lamphu province on January 18 to sell sugarcane to festival visitors.

However, the male elephant went into a rampage after being startled by a barrage of fireworks set off for the carnival’s opening ceremony. Footage from the scene showed the elephant knocking over and trampling several pedestrians as terrified villagers fled in panic. The elephant bolted through tents and stalls in an attempt to escape the noise of the explosions.

Authorities confirmed that five people were injured and rushed to the provincial hospital. Fortunately, none of the injuries were reported as serious.

One of the injured, 51-year-old Yanee, described how she had been walking with her grandson when she heard people screaming behind her. She said, "I turned around to see what was going on, and saw the elephant running towards me. I couldn’t react in time, and it hit me. I fell and twisted my ankle, but my grandson was fine. We are lucky we weren't crushed."

Local governor Surasak Aksornkul ordered officials to assist the injured and confirmed that all of them had been treated at Nong Bua Lamphu Hospital and sent home. He urged the victims to file complaints against the elephant's owner and banned elephants from being brought into the fair again.

Sanga, the elephant's keeper, has been detained by police. He allegedly admitted that he had not sought permission to bring the elephant into the fairground. Officer Dejsuwan Srihom stated that Sanga would face charges for moving the elephant without approval from a livestock office. The offense carries a potential penalty of up to one year in prison, a fine of up to £477, or both.

Thailand is home to around 4,000 captive elephants, many of which are forced to work at tourist attractions, cultural ceremonies, or in the logging industry. Despite repeated calls from animal rights groups to ban the ownership and use of elephants, the majority of locals, including politicians, continue to resist efforts to stop their abuse.

While elephants are typically gentle creatures, recent weeks have seen several fatal attacks. On January 3, Spanish tourist Blanca Ojanguren Garcia, 22, was struck by an elephant she was bathing at the Koh Yao Elephant Care Center in Phang Nga province. The elephant reportedly responded after Garcia slipped and accidentally grabbed its trunk, causing the animal to smash her against a rocky pool. Additionally, on December 15, a 45-year-old farmer, Thodsaporn Phiananukulbut, was trampled to death by a bull elephant while fishing at a canal in Prachinburi province.