18 Asiatic elephants killed in suspected lightning strike

The forest guard reached the remote area on Thursday and found 14 elephants dead on top of a hill and four at the bottom

The elephants were found dead in the protected Kondali forest reserve in north eastern Assam state. Picture: KK Productions/AP

Lightning is believed to have killed a herd of 18 wild Asiatic elephants in remote north-eastern India, a forest official said.

The elephants, including five calves, were found dead during rains in the protected Kondali forest reserve, wildlife official Jayanta Goswami said.