Coimbatore: In the early hours of Friday, three wild elephants at Kalayanur here destroyed a vermicelli manufacturing unit and consumed about 10 kg of ragi vermicelli.

The incident happened at Dharani Food Products, a company that was founded only three months prior. Saranya Senthil Kumar's apartment is at least 100 meters from the village of Kalayanur where she resides.

Around 12.30am on Friday, three wild elephants damaged the unit’s steel shutter, pulled out vermicelli packets through the gap and ate it. The elephants also damaged a glass window, a table, computer, printer and few other office articles.

Locals in Kalayanur say that elephant herds regularly raid the village and the surrounding areas in search of food. The herds often damaged bakeries and ration stores in their quest for rice and rice flour.