Killer Elephant Leaves 22 People Dead Over 10 Days in India, Still At Large

Chaos in small town India ... a killer elephant is still on the loose following a terrifying rampage, leaving 22 people dead in just 10 days -- including an expert who was called in to stop it.

The elephant went rogue in Chaibasa, a district in India’s Jharkhand state ... began attacking villages on New Year’s Day. A couple and their two children were trampled to death as they slept in Babaria village in the following days, and the number of victims has steadily risen. Check out the video above ... the animal is terrifying as it overtakes people trying to flee on foot.

More deaths were confirmed across Hatgamharia, Bada Pasiya, and Lampaisai -- with terrified residents now being told to stay indoors and steer clear of forested areas.

Officials completely lost control of the situation -- botching attempts to capture and tranquilize the animal. It all comes after they briefly drove the elephant into neighboring Odisha ... only for local staff to force the killer elephant straight back to Chaibasa over safety concerns.

Even specialist teams from other towns were rushed in to help ... but they couldn’t stop it either, with one expert fatally injured while trying to manage the elephant.

Wildlife officials now believe the animal is a sub-adult male in musth -- a hyper-aggressive hormonal phase -- and may be lashing out while trying to find its way back to its mother’s herd ... other officials believe the young bull is in its mating phase, according to BBC News.