Bhubaneswar: In a tragic incident, an elderly man went missing in the Brahmani River after being dragged into the water by a crocodile at Malatipatna village near Aul in Kendrapara district.
The man was grazing cattle near the waterbody when the incident occurred, with some eyewitnesses claiming to have seen the attack.
According to eyewitnesses, a crocodile suddenly appeared when the man entered the river for a wash, and in a split second, the reptile dragged him into the water. Locals immediately informed the forest department, police, and fire brigade team, who rushed to the spot and launched a search operation to trace the missing man.
This incident speaks about the recurring human-crocodile conflict in Kendrapara district, where loss of human life due to crocodile attacks is a regular occurrence.
In fact, this is not the first time such an incident has happened in the area. Recently, a similar incident occurred in Ghagaradiha village under Pattamundai police limits, where an elderly man named Gangadhar Tarai was dragged into the Brahmani River by a crocodile while taking a bath.
Locals criticised the forest authorities for not taking adequate measures to prevent such incidents, despite repeated attacks.
The search operation is still underway to locate the missing man.
