The wire was cut off after a tree fell on it due to heavy wind and rain, said Mettupalayam forest range officer M Nazir.

"Since it rained, the soil was wet, and there could have been small pools of water. The tusker and the deer stepped on the live wire and died," Nazir told TOI.

On Wednesday morning, the owner of the farm, M N Gopalswamy, spotted the carcass of the elephant and the deer. "He reported the incident to us, and we reached the spot around 9am. Veterinary doctors conducted the postmortem and confirmed the reason for the death," Nazir said.

The accident happened in an elephant corridor. "The elephant and the deer could have come for fodder," Nazir said.

Environmentalist K Mohanraj said such incidents were uncommon but could be prevented. "The state government can insulate the electric cables. However, the incident needs to be thoroughly investigated, and we need to see if there has been a sabotage," he said.