India, Feb. 25 -- At least five devotees were killed and several others injured when a herd of elephants attacked them while they were walking through the Seshachalam forest en route to Lord Shiva's temple at Talakona in Andhra Pradesh's Annamayya district for the Mahashivratri celebrations around 5.30am on Tuesday.

A police officer said the devotees attempted to scare the elephants by shouting. "...the elephants became aggressive. ...the elephants encircled and attacked them," he said.

The devotees ran for their lives but the elephants trampled upon some of them leaving five dead on the spot and several others injured. Police and forest department officials rushed to the spot and launched a rescue operation. "The injured were immediate...