Elephants kill seven in India

The Indian authorities say at least seven people were killed in West Bengal when a herd of wild elephants went on the rampage near a tea plantation in the north of the state.

Police said the animals emerged from the jungle near Marapur tea estate and ran into several huts, crushing them.

The area - close to the borders with Nepal and Bhutan - is on a traditional elephant travel route.

Indian wildlife experts say deforestation and an expansion of farming has destroyed much of the elephants' natural habitat and led to an increase in such incidents.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service