Flash floods swept through a popular elephant sanctuary in northern Thailand on Thursday, forcing the evacuation of about 100 elephants and trapping dozens of tourists, amid urgent pleas for help. Dramatic video and images from the Elephant Nature Park near the city of Chiang Mai showed dozens of elephants wading through belly-deep water to find safety on higher ground.

More than 100 elephants in northern Thailand have been moved to higher ground to escape rapidly rising flood waters, local media reported, but many other animals were still stuck as their sanctuary struggled to evacuate them on Friday.

Authorities and conservationists are rushing to rescue elephants, pigs and buffaloes from flash flooding in Thailand's northern Chiang Mai province, a senior official said on Friday.