TV
A woman is feared to have been dragged away by a crocodile near the Gobari River on Friday in Benakanda village under the Mahakalpada block of Kendrapara district. The woman identified as Lakshmi Dalei went missing near the river while cutting grass.
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Search operation continues as panic grips Benakanda village in the district.
According to local sources, 37-year-old Lakshmi had gone to the riverbank in the morning to cut grass and tether her goats when the suspected crocodile attack occurred.
Locals suspect that a crocodile lurking near the river might have suddenly dragged her into the water. The fatal incident took place under Tantiapal police limits.
Upon realising she was missing, villagers immediately launched a search operation, but as of now, no trace of her has been found. Panic and fear have gripped the locality, as crocodile sightings are not uncommon near the Gobari River, which flows close to the Bhitarkanika National Park, a well-known crocodile habitat.
Authorities have been alerted, and efforts are underway to locate the woman and confirm the nature of the incident.
Human-crocodile conflicts in villages around the Bhitarkanika wildlife sanctuary have become a disturbing feature, with the reptiles killing five to six people every year and injuring many.
Residents of forest-side villages, however, point out that the rising number of saltwater crocodiles could be one of the reasons for the increase in human attacks.
No comments were received from Mahakalpada forest range officials or the Tantiapal police in this regard.
“My daughter-in-law used to go to the riverbank to cut grass for goats. A crocodile dragged her into the river. She is survived by her three daughters and husband. There is no one else now to look after the children,” the victim’s mother-in-law, Khukumani, said.
