Pekanbaru. An eight-year-old girl named Citra has fallen into a coma after being trampled by a wild elephant in Rantau Panjang, Rumbai District, Pekanbaru, Riau, early Thursday morning.

According to her father, Sardo Purba, the incident occurred around 4 a.m. when three elephants appeared near their house. Hearing noises outside, Sardo opened the door, only to find the elephants right in front of him.

“One of them was very aggressive. We ran toward the cornfield, but it chased us. My second child was caught and trampled,” Sardo said.

Citra sustained severe head injuries and was rushed to Arifin Ahmad Hospital in Pekanbaru, where she is receiving intensive treatment. Doctors said she suffered a fractured skull and is undergoing surgery.

Sardo added that a herd of at least eight elephants also damaged their house during the incident.

Rumbai Police Chief AKP Said Khairul Iman confirmed the attack, saying the family panicked and fled in fear when the elephants approached.

“They tried to escape, but the elephants chased after them,” Said told the reporter.

Police and local authorities are now coordinating with the Riau Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BBKSDA) to prevent further human-elephant conflicts in the area.