By Habib Beary BBC reporter in Bangalore

Cameramen hoping for some exclusive photographs have been attacked by rampaging elephants in the Indian state of Karnataka.

It happened after the cameramen attempted to photograph the elephants while they were hiding in the forest.

The elephant corridor has to be widened to prevent such incidents BMT Rajeev - senior forest official

Earlier, the elephants were believed to have gone on the rampage near a national park destroying a banana plantation and a crop of pulses on Thursday.

Forest workers are now trying to drive the elephants away from the area, close to the state capital, Bangalore.

A total of five people were injured, including two villagers and the three cameramen who went too close to photograph the elephants.

Escort

Senior state forest official, BMT Rajeev, said it is happening more regularly as the animals' habitat is rapidly taken over by residential and office complexes.

Elephants are revered by Hindus because of Ganesh

A young local villager, Balaram, had offered to escort the cameramen and took the group towards a eucalyptus grove where the elephants were hiding.

But they got too close for comfort.

The elephants charged, knocked Balaram to the ground and attacked the cameramen.

Hearing their screams for help, local villagers rushed to rescue.

Police said the injured were being treated at a nearby hospital.

Forest officials say elephants have been straying near the city for the last couple of years because of fragmented forests and clogged elephant corridors.

Killed

A bus driver was mauled to death by a herd at a village near Bangalore last year.

And at least six people have been killed in the last two years by elephants.

The authorities do not wish to harm the elephants

Cultivation has spread over the last few years - shrinking elephant territory in the Bannerghatta-Anekal forest region which stretches on some sides into neighbouring Tamil Nadu.

Karnataka has around 6,000 elephants according to a survey conducted last year.

BMT Rajeev said: "Last year, we had elephants straying well into the city. The elephant corridor has to be widened to prevent such incidents."

His department spends over 100,000 rupees yearly on firecrackers to drive out elephants from entering Bangalore.

But help seems to be at hand.

A leading science institute is looking into a warning system for farmers to alert them to the threat of marauding elephants.

The project is expected to be ready by October 2003.