A mahout and his assistant were killed after an elephant attacked them near the Rakwana Sri Ubhaya Thilakarama Viharaya, where the animal had been brought for the 78th Poson Perahera.

According to reports, the elephant became agitated while being taken to the Rakwana River for water and fatally attacked the assistant. The chief mahout, who rushed to help, was also attacked and killed.

The elephant later fled into a nearby paddy field, while wildlife officers have launched efforts to tranquilize and capture the animal.