Bhubaneswar: A 52-year-old man went missing after he was allegedly dragged away by a saltwater crocodile while bathing in the Kharasrota river in Jebil village of Jajpur district on Tuesday.
He has been identified as Harihar Jena of Rishipur village in the district.
According to locals, the man had entered the river for a bath when a crocodile suddenly attacked and pulled him into the water. He went missing in the river following the incident.
On being informed, fire brigade personnel rushed to the spot and launched a search operation to trace him. The search operation continued till late evening, officials said.
This is the second crocodile attack reported from the same river this year. Earlier in April, a 47-year-old man, Pratap Mallick of Gholapur village under Dalijoda forest range, sustained serious injuries after being attacked by a crocodile while bathing in the Kharasrota. He had suffered severe injuries to his hand, neck and back.
Forest department officials have urged people to avoid bathing and venturing into the Kharasrota river.
