Ranchi, Nov 19 (IANS): A forest official was trampled to death while four of his colleagues escaped with injuries during a sudden attack by an elephant that went on a rampage in Jharkhand's East Singhbhum district on Thursday after being separated from its herd, police said.

The incident too place at Sonaltand village in Chauka area.

A herd of five elephants have been creating panic among the villagers over the past few days.

A five-member team from forest department had reached the village to drive away the herd. During the drive one elephant got isolated from the herd.

The four elephants were driven away, but the fifth one then suddenly went berserk and trampled Haricharan Mahto one of the team members to death. The other four members were also injured in the attack.

The villagers later rescued the injured team members and rushed them to hospital for treatment.

Every year the rampaging elephants kill scores people in Jharkhand.

According to the Forest Department sources more than 1,000 people have been killed by the rampaging elephants since creation of the state in 2000.