Horror moment crocodile drags woman down river after snatching her as she bathed

A horrific viral video captured the moment a 57-year-old woman was dragged down a river in the jaws of a deadly crocodile after horrified locals were unable to save her

This is the shocking moment a crocodile^[1] dragged a woman down a river in its jaws after snatching her as she took a bath.

Chilling footage showed the reptile pulling its victim, a 57-year-old woman, through the water as horrified onlookers helplessly watched. The lady had been bathing in the Kharasrota River, in Eastern India^[2], when she was unexpectedly attacked up by the dangerous reptile^[3]. A frantic rescue mission was launched but desperate villagers and authorities were unable to save the victim, named locally as Soudamini Mahala.

Witnesses in the village said the woman was attacked on Monday afternoon, and was immediately pulled into the water.

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Local police^[6] and fire department teams responded swiftly to the emergency call and launched a search operation in the river. Her body remains missing as of Tuesday.

A local police spokesperson said: “The woman was taking a bath in the Kharasrota river around 4 pm on Monday. A crocodile dragged her into the high stream of the river. Villagers present on the riverbank tried to chase the reptile but failed to rescue her.”

Eyewitness Naba Kishore Mahala recalled the horror moment and said: “We saw the crocodile dragging her and jumped in to help, but we couldn’t save her.”

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Authorities continue to search the river while urging residents to remain cautious near water bodies known for crocodile activity. A video capturing the terrifying moment has since gone viral on social media, amid public concern for the safety of the river.

This tragedy comes after a mother-of-three died^[7] in another horror crocodile attack in India. The woman’s half-eaten body was discovered on a riverbank a day later.

The shocking incident, which happened on September 19, saw a woman suddenly be attacked by the reptile while she was trying to catch fish.

An eyewitness said locals “raised an alarm and tried to save her” but were sadly unsuccessful. Santanu Kumar Dalei, a forest range officer of Mahakalapada, speaking the Press Trust of India, said: “The crocodile emerged from nowhere and lunged at her. Before she could react, it dragged her into the water.”

The woman, who was identified locally as Laxmi Dalei, was in the Gobari River near Bhitarkanika National Park under the Mahakalapada forest range in Odishi, India, where she was dragged into the water by the beast.

The Brahmani River is home to 1,826 saltwater crocodiles. Range officer Santuru, speaking to local press, said: “We do not think crocodiles are a risk to public safety if people keep out of the waters, but if people enter the water, their safety cannot be guaranteed.”