Thiruvananthapuram | A 27-year-old mahout was killed by a jumbo at the Kottoor elephant rehabilitation centre near the Neyyar dam on Thursday, police said.

The incident occurred at around 9.40 am when the mahout was bathing the elephant at the reservoir, police said.

The jumbo hit the man with its trunk, pushing him under the water, and he drowned as a result, they said.

He was taken to the nearby hospital, but his life could not be saved, police said.

The victim had been working at the rehabilitation centre as a mahout for couple of years, they added.