Crocodile Drags Woman Into River In Odisha, Onlookers Watch In Horror

Odisha: In a tragic incident in a village of Odisha, a crocodile dragging a 57-year-old woman into a river has sent shockwaves across the region and has left the local residents terrified.

Soudamini Mahala was taking a bath in the Kharasrota River in Kantia village of Jajpur district on Monday when the crocodile suddenly attacked her. After being informed, authorities launched a search and rescue operation, but Mahala remained missing till filing of this report. A video of the attack reportedly went viral on the social media, shocking many viewers.

The crocodile, estimated to be around 12 feet long, is believed to have entered the village through a canal after escaping from the Brahmani River. Heavy rains and flooding may have caused it to stray from its natural habitat, locals said. Despite efforts to track the reptile, it disappeared through the canal network. Locals gathered at the riverbank but were unable to save the woman despite several efforts.

Second Incident In A Week

Earlier, a similar deadly encounter occurred on Wednesday, October 1, in Balipada village, which is part of the Pattamundai municipality in Odisha's Jajpur district. In this first reported case of its kind, a 35-year-old woman named Joshna Jena was killed when a crocodile dragged her into the Birupa River. She was attacked while she was washing utensils along the riverbank. According to reports, after an inquiry, a forest department officer announced that Joshna Jena’s family would receive a compensation of Rs 6 lakh. However, many locals feel that more needs to be done to protect people living near rivers where crocodiles tend to astray.

Both attacks have left local residents deeply frightened and concerned about their safety. Authorities have been urged to take action to prevent further tragedies.

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