This is the terrifying moment a charging elephant chased tourists and nearly trampled them on a road in India.

The two men left their car to snap selfies with the jumbo behind them as it was ambling along the National Highway 766 that passes through Bandipur National Park in Karnataka on January 31.

However, as they approached, the elephant suddenly went berserk and rushed toward them.

Dramatic footage shows the tourists running for their lives, with the tusker right at their heels.

One of them had a close brush with death when he tripped and the elephant tried to kick his head with its hind leg.

The man avoided the blow that would have cracked his skull and crawled toward the forest to escape as the elephant turned around to leave.

Tourist Savad C.A., who witnessed the heart-stopping chase while travelling with his family, said they feared for the safety of the men.

He said: 'At one point, we thought one of the men would be trampled by the animal.

'The man who fell down had a miraculous escape as the elephant turned its attention to a passing vehicle just as it was upon him.

'We sped away as we were very much shocked.'

Recently the Kerala Forest Department slapped a hefty fine on a tourist who had a narrow escape as he attempted to take a selfie with an elephant herd.

According to officials, trespassing on prohibited forest land is punishable with imprisonment of up to three years or a fine of up to Rs 1 lakh or both.

Meanwhile, the Karnataka Forest Department has launched an inquiry into the incident and efforts are underway to identify the two tourists.