A ten-year-old male elephant fell into a sewer in Bang Phil district of Samut Prakan province and was believed to be electrocuted by electrical cables buried in the drainage system.

The incident took place in an alley beside Wat Luangpor To temple in front of a restaurant when three of the elephant’s legs were trapped in the open sewer, making it unable to get out due to its weight.

Rescue workers with the help of a crane rushed to the scene to try to pluck the animal out of the sewer while a team of veterinarians tried to administer CPR on it after finding that it was not breathing.

It took the vets about two hours trying to save the life of the poor elephant but without success.

It was reported that Mr Pattharapol Manee-on, a special veterinarian, phoned in most of the time to give instructions to the vets in the field.

Police said that the mahout brought the elephant to the restaurant to ask for donations from customers.  But as the elephant walked on the plywood sheet which covered the sewers, the sheet caved in and the elephant’s three legs got trapped.

The mahout was later charged with moving the elephant out in public without permission.