VietNamNet Bridge – A boy in Vietnam’s Central Highlands province of Dak Nong died at a hospital on Tuesday after being attacked by a 40-year-old elephant of a circus troupe.

A local official said the incident occurred in front of the headquarters of the local government of Duc Manh Commune, Dak Mil District in the afternoon of December 23.

A circus troupe named Binh Minh from Thai Binh Province set up its stage there to prepare for the show at night. At about 6pm, a group of kids including the 12-year-old boy named Nguyen approached the truck of the circuit troupe to play with the elephant and then gave it a banana leaf.

Suddenly the elephant's trunk caught the boy and threw him to the floor of the truck's body. The child fell down on the spot.

Hearing screams, a mahout named Nhu Van Lam came and took the child to a local hospital, where he later died.

Pham Thanh Cao, the circus troupe’s deputy director, said at the time of the accident, the mahout and other members were having dinner. Cao said the boy touched the elephant’s trunk, which made it angry.

Cao said that his circus troupe has performed throughout the country in the past 15 years, and this was the first accident.

The circus troupe bought the elephant in Dak Nong province more than 10 years ago.

The circus troupe gave the victim’s family VND10 million ($500). The case is under further investigation.

Le Ha