A tragic incident unfolded as a mother of three met her demise in a terrifying crocodile attack, leading to the discovery of her partially consumed body on a riverbank the following day.
The fatal encounter occurred during the late morning of September 19th when the woman was engaged in fishing activities. Eyewitnesses recounted that local residents witnessed the attack, raised an alarm, and attempted to rescue her, albeit unsuccessfully.
Santanu Kumar Dalei, a forest range officer from Mahakalapada, revealed that the crocodile suddenly appeared and swiftly grabbed the woman, dragging her into the water before she could react. The victim, identified as Laxmi Dalei, was in the Gobari River near Bhitarkanika National Park in Odisha, India, when the tragic incident took place.
Bhitarkanika, an expansive saltwater marsh in Odisha spanning around 404 miles across the Brahmani River and Baitarani River deltas, is known to house 1,826 saltwater crocodiles as reported by The Times of India.
While emphasizing that crocodiles do not pose a threat to public safety as long as people avoid entering the waters, range officer Santuru cautioned that safety cannot be guaranteed if individuals venture into the water.
Laxmi, survived by her husband and three daughters, tragically lost her life to a crocodile attack near Bhitarkanika National Park. This incident follows another distressing event where an 80-year-old grandfather was attacked and killed by a crocodile while bathing in a river near his home in Tanggamus Regency, Lampung Province, Sumatra, Indonesia, on June 30th.
The elderly man, identified as Wasim, was dragged beneath the water’s surface by the reptile without being able to seek help. Villagers discovered his absence when his clothes were found on the riverbank, prompting a search that led to the sighting of Wasim being carried by the crocodile. Local residents armed with sticks intervened to rescue him, eventually succeeding in retrieving his lifeless body from the crocodile’s grip.
Wasim’s son-in-law, Samugi, expressed shock at the tragic turn of events, emphasizing that it was an unexpected end to an otherwise ordinary day for the family.