LUCKNOW: In a tragic incident, a 12-year-old boy was killed in a crocodile attack in Uttar Pradesh’s Bahraich district after the reptile dragged him into the Ghaghara River while he was washing his hands and feet following work in a paddy field. Despite desperate attempts by his uncle and villagers to rescue him, the crocodile disappeared into deep waters with the child. His body was recovered nearly five hours later.The incident occurred in the Baundi police station area, around 45 km from the district headquarters. According to villagers, the boy had accompanied his uncle to a paddy field on Thursday afternoon to help with paddy transplantation. After working in the field for nearly three to four hours, the two stopped at the Ghaghara River to wash their hands and feet while returning home. At around 6 pm, a crocodile suddenly emerged from the river, seized the child by his leg and dragged him into the water.Eyewitnesses said the boy struggled desperately to free himself while his uncle raised an alarm. Hearing the cries, nearby farmers and villagers rushed to the spot and hurled stones and bricks at the crocodile in an attempt to force it to release the child. However, the reptile reportedly tossed the boy several times in the water before pulling him into deeper waters.Villagers said the crocodile disappeared with the child within minutes, leaving helpless onlookers unable to intervene further.Following the attack, dozens of villagers launched a search operation using large bamboo poles to locate the child. After nearly five hours of searching, the boy’s body was recovered from the river at around 10 pm.The Station House Officer, T.N. Maurya, confirmed both the incident and the authenticity of a video circulating on social media that purportedly captured parts of the attack.Forest Ranger Saqib Ansari said the crocodile had partially eaten the body, with the victim’s right leg and lower waist severely mutilated.The deceased, a Class VI student, had lost both his parents several years ago. He is survived by one brother and two sisters.Sub-Divisional Magistrate Prakash Singh said the district administration had been informed of the incident and that the bereaved family would be provided ₹4 lakh as financial assistance under the applicable government compensation scheme.The incident has once again raised concerns over increasing human-crocodile encounters in villages situated along the Ghaghara River, where residents frequently depend on the river for daily activities despite the presence of crocodiles.
