A rampaging buffalo charged into a school injuring three people in Cambodia.

The animal bulldozed its way into the Hun Sen Chumpouvorn High School in the capital Phnom Penh at lunch time while some students and teachers were playing on the field on May 10.

The male buffalo charged at the terrified group, sending them into a panic. As the crowd retreated to classrooms one teacher was injured in the chaos.

The wounded member of staff was taken to a hospital while the beast continued roaming around the field.

Police and soldiers later arrived to catch the escaped farm animal.

Teacher Bong Muysong said: 'I was inside the school building and I heard noise from the field. Children were screaming and one or two of the teachers shouted for help.

'I went outside and recorded the animal while it ran around the yard. The commune officers came later to catch the buffalo. It was quite scary and disrupted the classes in the afternoon.'

Armed with long sticks and ropes, they tried to wrangle the buffalo which continued to tear through school property, destroyed railings, and injured two more people. It took more than an hour to bring the furious bovine under control.

Va Savoeun, Chief of the Choam Chao III Commune, said a man later contacted the people's defense force claiming the buffalo was his and asking when he could collect it.

However, the council chief that when the owner was told he would have to pay damages to both the school and the injured victims, he ended the call.

The buffalo was bound and kept on school grounds overnight as authorities prepared to relocate it. However, it was found dead the next morning.