An elderly woman barely escaped alive from a wild elephant attack outside her home after the dogs' loud barking scared it away.

The pensioner named Nagammal, 70, was reportedly one of three victims during the male tusker's rampage in the village of Karadimadai in the Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu in India.

Among the other two was reportedly a 14-year-old girl.

CCTV footage shows Nagammal sleeping on the veranda outside her home when she was woken by the wild animal in the early hours of March 13.

Housemaid Dhanalakshmi, who was also asleep, woke up along with a girl and shouted for help.

However, the elephant reportedly pushed them aside, injuring Dhanalakshmi's hip and breaking the girl's right leg.

Meanwhile, Nagammal tried to run away but the tusker quickly backed her against a wall when she began praying to the gods to survive.

The elephant flung her in the air but before it could trample her, it began to retreat at the sounds of dogs barking.

Nagammal reportedly suffered injuries on her head and back and was taken to the Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital (CMCH) in an ambulance.

Coimbatoreforest officials are currently searching for the elephant.