KRISHNAGIRI: An elephant sustained minor injuries and one of its tusks was broken after a Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation bus knocked it down near Krishnagiri on Wednesday.
According to forest officials, a herd of three elephants came out of the forest and tried to cross the Chennai-Bangalore National Highways near Kundarapalli.
“Two jumbos managed to cross the road. A tusker, which came behind the two elephants, suddenly turned back and moved towards the bus,” a forest official said.
Bus driver P Kumaresan, 38, tried his best to avoid the vehicle hitting the elephant, but in vain. The bus knocked down the tusker.
One of the tusks of the elephant got broken in the accident. The elephant sustained minor injuries too. Officials said the broken tusk weighed around 3.5kg.
Kumaresan, who suffered injuries, was rushed to Government Hospital in Krishnagiri.
The bus was going to Hosur from Chennai. There were more than 40 passengers on board the bus.
Traffic on the Chennai-Bangalore National Highway was affected after the accident.
Forest officials were monitoring the injured elephant, which moved to the banks of a nearby lake.