Three pensioners were killed and dozens of devotees were injured when two captive elephants spooked by fireworks went on a rampage at a temple in India.

The jumbos decorated in garish religious ornaments were being prepared for a ceremonial procession when firecrackers were set off at the Manakkulangara Bhagavathi temple in Kerala state, on February 13.

Rattled by the explosions, the elephants went berserk and sparked a stampede.

Shocking footage shows the pachyderms tearing down a temple display as they try to scramble away from the loud noises.

Terrified locals were sent scattering when the elephants then charged toward the temple committee office nearby.

Police said three pensioners, identified as Ammukkutty, 70, Leela, 65, and Rajan, 70, were killed when a temple wall collapsed on them.

At least 30 more people were injured in the frenzy. They were taken to the Koyilandy Taluk Hospital and Kozhikode Medical College Hospitals for treatment.

Local police chief K E Baiju said: 'One of the elephants was agitated by the noise of firecrackers. It jabbed the second elephant with its tusk, and they fought each other causing panic at the temple.

'The elephants subsequently ran into the temple committee office, a portion of which collapsed and injured a number of people.'

State Forest Minister A K Saseendran demanded an urgent report regarding the incident from the District Collector and the Chief Forest Conservator (Social Forestry) of the Northern Region. He said a probe will be launched to determine if there were violations of the Kerala Captive Elephants (Management and Maintenance) regulations.

State Health Minister Veena George also ordered 'special arrangements' for the wounded devotees recovering from the incident.

The horror elephant attack comes a week after a mahout was brutally trampled by a rampaging jumbo during a festival in the same state.

The jumbo named Vallamkulam Narayanan Kutty had been paraded around for a religious procession when it went berserk at a mosque, at 11:45 pm on February 6.

The out-of-control creature brutally kicked and stepped on its handler Kunjumon Ibrahim, 50, killing him in front of terrified locals.

Elephants in India are deeply intertwined with the country's culture, religion, and ecology. The Indian elephant, a subspecies of the Asian elephant, is found in forests across the country, particularly in states like Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Assam, and West Bengal.

They play a significant role in Hindu and Buddhist traditions, often symbolising wisdom and strength, with Lord Ganesha being the most famous elephant deity in the Hindu pantheon.