Twenty-three people were injured when a captive elephant ran amok during a religious ceremony at a mosque near Tirur on Wednesday.

Of the injured, one person is in critical condition after being picked up and tossed by the elephant, police said.

The remaining 22 individuals suffered minor injuries in the stampede caused by panic-stricken people following the elephant's attack at around 12.30 am, an official at the Tirur police station said.

According to visuals of the incident, of the five elephants lined up for the ceremony, one became violent and charged toward the crowd of people gathered in front of it.

The elephant picked up one man with its tusk, twirled him around, and then tossed him away.

The elephant was eventually pacified and calmed down by its mahouts after some effort.

Police confirmed that the mosque had the necessary permissions to use elephants for the ceremony.

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