A rogue elephant was rescued after it fell into a pit in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal, but not before it killed a local woman in its rampage.

The incident happened on January 28 near Guru Nanak Palli in the state's Asansol district.

Visuals show the elephant trapped inside a pit as the locals gather to watch the rescuers at work, who eventually tranquillise it and lift it free using a crane.

Reportedly the wild elephant was one of a pair that strayed away from their herd into the village at 1:30pm on January 28, with police and forest department officials barricading the village and driving them back.

However the elephant returned later that evening, killing an elderly woman and injured several other villagers until it fell into the pit and was tranquillised.

The animal was later released back to the forest at 3:30pm on January 29.

A wild elephant fell into a trench after causing mayhem in the east Indian state of West Bengal.

The incident took place on January 28 near Guru Nanak Palli located in the state's Asansol district.

Visuals show the animal causing panic among villagers as it walks down the street.

Next, the animal gets trapped near a roadside drainage trench as locals gather to watch the rescuers at work.

The forest officials tranquillize the distressed tusker before lifting it out of the ditch with the help of a crane.

According to the reports, the elephant had strayed into the locality with a companion early in the day.

Unexpectedly, the 7-year old mammal returned and went on a rampage, killing two people and injuring 3 in the process.

The captured animal was then sent to the Asansol forest range office to recuperate and later transferred to Chuchura forest reserve for further treatment.

Reports also state that the animal was later released into the nearby forest the following day.