Kendrapara: A 34-year-old man in the process of fetching water from a river to irrigate his fields was killed by a crocodile on Friday, a forest official said. The incident took place at around 8:30 in Dakhinabheda village in Odisha's Kendrapara district on the outskirts of the Bhitarkanika National Park.

The deceased, identified as Nimai Mallick, had gone to fetch water from a river using a bucket but was instead dragged into the water by a crocodile. Hours later, his half-eaten body was recovered from the same river by a team of forest officials and fire service personnel. 

Nimai is survived by his wife, three daughters and a son, said a forest official.

This was the seventh such death in the area in as many months, he said. 

With inputs from PTI.