Elephants cause chaos on motorway after circus lorry overturns

One animal killed as four survivors roam highway before being winched from road by crane

One elephant was killed and four others injured after a circus truck crashed on a Spanish motorway.

The four surviving elephants wandered the road in Pozo Canada, in the province of Albacete, which was forced to close.

Footage showed emergency services using a crane to winch one of the animals from the road.

Two of the elephants suffered injuries to their faces, trunks and legs (EPA/MANU)

Two of the animals were injured in the crash.

Pictures from the scene showed the elephants with large cuts on their faces, trunks and legs.

The four surviving elephants wandered the road, which was forced to close (EPA/MANU)

The truck tipped over as it tried to overtake another vehicle on the highway between Albacete and Murcia, said Jose Amado, a spokesman for Albacete's Civil Guard.

He said the driver wasn't injured, but one of the elephants died on the spot.

Emergency services use a crane to lift an elephant from the road (El Digital de Albacete/MarÌa Guerrero via AP)

The four surviving elephants, three with minor cuts and one with injured legs, are being treated by vets.

The four surviving elephants are being treated by vets (El Digital de Albacete/MarÌa Guerrero via AP)

Local police tweeted a photo of two of the roving animals.

The Civil Guard wrote: "Our Albacete traffic comrades today, attending to some elephants who were victims of an accident in Pozo Canada (unfortunately one of the pachyderms died)."

Animal rights groups said the accident is the latest example of how circuses are a danger for wild animals.