A 69-year-old man was killed in Malaysia after being trampled by a wild elephant while working at a palm oil plantation with his son.

According to the authorities, the attack occurred on 12 April at around 2.00pm local time in Lahad Datu, a district in eastern Sabah, as the pair were preparing to leave the plantation.

“Suddenly, they were attacked by an elephant. The victim did not have time to escape and was trampled,” Lahad Datu deputy police chief superintendent, Jimmy Panyau, said in a statement.

“The son also shouted for help and attempted to distract the elephant before it eventually moved away from the area,” he said.

The son, 38, later rushed his father to the hospital, but the man was pronounced dead on arrival.

“A preliminary examination of the body revealed a broken leg and fractured ribs,” Mr Panyau added.

He said that the elephant was believed to be a solitary bull rather than part of a herd. Authorities have classified the case as a sudden death.

Authorities have urged the public, particularly those living in the Tungku area where the latest incident occurred, to stay vigilant and exercise caution due to the presence of wild elephants nearby.

Authorities said that “members of the public with information are urged to contact the investigating officer at Tungku police station or the Lahad Datu district police headquarters”.

Last year in November, a 43-year-old Malaysian logger, identified as Saidi Jahari, was killed in a wild elephant attack at a logging site in Gua Musang – in the northern part of the country – after the animals approached the workers’ camp at night.

According to Malay Mail, he was first injured and found with broken legs after the group fled, but a bull elephant later returned and attacked again, forcing others to run. He was later found deceased “with severe injuries consistent with being trampled by an elephant”.

And last year in December, a wild elephant damaged a parked car in Perak, in the north of Selangor, after being attracted by the smell of food, including durians inside the vehicle.

The elephant smashed a Honda City’s window while the driver was inside, who at first thought it was a robbery before realising it was the animal and getting help to scare it away.

The elephant had reportedly been rummaging through rubbish bins for food before targeting the car. No one was injured, and the animal eventually returned to the forest.