A GRANDFATHER was trampled to death while trying to scare off a rampaging elephant – and another villager injured.

Jaran Promtoo, 60, was working his garden in Khon Kaen, northeast Thailand, when the humungous animal stormed in.

Jaran and his helper tried desperately to ward off the elephant, called Plai Hoo Phab, with loud noises.

Despite their attempts, the bull went berserk and brutally stomped on them.

Villagers called a rescue team after finding the pair lying motionless in the garden on Wednesday evening.

They found that Jaran was tragically dead at the scene, with severe injuries to his chest, ribs, and hip.

His pal, not named by officials, survived and was taken to Khon Kaen Hospital for treatment.

District chief Kritsakorn Sritrakarn said officials deployed a heat-sensitive drone to track Plai Hoo Phab’s movements, as he continued to lurk around the area.

He said: “The investigation found that the victims often went to the garden to tend their crops and forage.

“When they tried to drive away the male elephant, it turned aggressive and attacked, leaving one dead and another injured.”

Wildlife officers said Plai Hoo Phab was a bull that had strayed from its herd at the Phu Luang Wildlife Sanctuary in neighbouring Loei province.

Jaran is the third person to be killed by the same elephant in a matter of months.

Just the previous day, Nirun Paenfai, 52, was trampled to death by Plai Hoo Phab while setting eel traps at a pond in the same province.

His mangled body was later found dumped in a pond near a sugarcane field.

And the big bull killed another local back in April.

Authorities warned villagers to avoid hanging around outside for too long and stay inside where possible.

They also dispatched a specialised unit to monitor the movement of wild elephant in the area.

Community leaders will be warned if the animals are found to be nearing residential areas.

Phu Wiang National Park officials said they have got eyes on three wild elephants in the Si Chomphu district and Wiang Kao Districts.

Meanwhile, one person was killed and six others critically injured when a bus ploughed into a wandering elephant in Uganda.

Officials on Monday were desperately trying to find the wounded animal after it managed to flee the scene of the horror crash.

Shocking pictures show the front of the bus was left completely mangled by the impact with the wild animal.

The tragic accident took place at around 1:30am near Karuma when the passenger vehicle was travelling from Gulu to Kampala.