Jajpur: Panic spread through a riverside village in Odisha’s Jajpur district after a saltwater crocodile dragged a 59-year-old woman into the Kharasrota river on Monday afternoon.
The incident has since gone viral on social media.
According to sources, the crocodile attacked the woman, identified as Soudamini Mahala of Kantia village under Bari block, at around 3.30 pm when she was washing clothes and utensils in the river. In the viral video, the reptile is dragging the woman downstream with shocked villagers shouting helplessly from a nearby bridge. “We raised an alarm and tried to save her. But the reptile dragged her deep into the water,” said a villager, adding that her husband works in Kolkata.
A live video went viral from Jajpur, Bari area, where a crocodile dragging a waman in to the river, pubil getting panic after watching video #odisha #jajour #crocodile #news #viral #live pic.twitter.com/J1lR1k01D2
— Ajay kumar nath (@ajaynath550) October 7, 2025
Following the incident, a search operation was launched in the river to trace her. Forest officials have also urged people to avoid venturing close to the river.
Earlier this year, crocodiles were sighted in the Baitarani river in Jajpur and in the Mahanadi river near Paradip, triggering panic among villagers residing along the riverbanks.
