Residents of Kunavai, located in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu, were woken up in the middle of the night on December 12 by a small heard of elephants that had strayed into their town.

This video captures the elephants walking on the road and the panicked reactions of the people living there.

According to local media, officials arrived with jeeps fitted with lights and sirens to trail the elephants, while residents held torches to block the elephants from moving further.

The district is said to be witnessing increasing human-elephant conflict due to deforestation.

Residents of Kanuvai in South India woke up in the night to chase away a small herd of elephants that strayed into their town on December 12.

Officials arrived with jeeps fitted with lights and sirens and trailed the elephants.

Several residents of the town poured to the streets holding torches, trying to block the elephants from straying further.

There was commotion in the town and many ran helter-skelter to escape the herd, which left the town around midnight.

Coimbatore district, where Kanivai is located, is witnessing increasing human-elephant conflict due to deforestation.