A 38-year-old brick kiln worker was grievously injured when an elephant attacked her near here early Friday, police said.
The cow elephant with its calf entered the human habitat where kiln workers were staying and started breaking the wall of a house of a worker Azhagupandi, they said.
Hearing the noise, Azhagupandi and wife Pandiselvi ran out of the house for safety.
However, the elephant caught the woman with its trunk and hurled her down, resulting in serious injuries, police said.
Neighbours who heard the screaming came out and managed to drive the elephant away before informing the forest officials, who also burst crackers to scare the elephant and its calf, they said.
Pandiselvi was brought to the Government hospital here and undergoing treatment, the police added.