Spanish tourist dies in elephant attack at Thai tourist facility

A Spanish tourist was attacked and killed by an elephant at an elephant experience tourist facility in Thailand.

According to the Bangkok Post and others, a 22-year-old Spanish female college student was stabbed by elephant ivory and taken to a hospital on the 3rd at an elephant protection center in Pang Ngju, southern Thailand, but died.

The dead female college student was reportedly attacked while passing in front of the elephant while doing experience activities to wash the elephants.

The facility has been closed since the incident.

Washing elephants is a popular tourist product in Thailand.

According to World Animal Protection (WAP), an animal protection organization, nearly 2,800 elephants are trapped in tourist facilities across Thailand, and some are known to train brutally.

Regarding the accident, experts said the elephants were likely stressed by the pressure to interact with tourists.

In Thailand, where the number of wild elephants reaches at least 4,000 and the number continues to increase, elephant attacks often kill or injure people.

According to Thai authorities, at least 240 people have been killed and 208 injured in wild elephant attacks since 2012.