Bus crashes into escaped circus elephant

(Reuters)

A five-ton elephant yesterday escaped from a circus and wandered on to a busy Mexican road, where it was hit by a bus and killed.

Officials said bus driver Tomas Lopez, 49, was also killed and at least four passengers were taken to hospital after the crash in Ecatepec, just north of Mexico City.

Mexico State police spokesman Juan Sanchez said the elephant escaped from its cage at the Circo Union and officials were investigating.

The state-funded Notimex news agency reported that the elephant named Indra escaped as its keeper arrived to feed it, knocking down a metal door that led to the street and wandering through two neighbourhoods before trying to cross the road.

Last month, a 500lb lion escaped from a private zoo owned by a local politician in southern Mexico. The animal killed two dogs and a pig and attacked a woman and child on a donkey before it was sedated and caught.