A teenage boy is missing after being mauled by a crocodile while washing a buffalo in a river.
Raja Babu – also known as Nan Yadav – went to the bank with the animal.
Suddenly, the reptile emerged from the water.
It latched onto Raja’s leg and pulled him into the water during the horror attack which happened on Sunday (22 Jun) afternoon.
Chilling footage showed the boy, 13, struggling in the water.
His head briefly appeared on the surface before he vanished beneath the current.
Witnesses could be heard screaming, but no one dared enter the river to help.
An extensive search operation was launched immediately, involving police, forest officials, and divers, as reported by Need To Know.
Nets were deployed and teams scoured the river for nearly seven hours.
No trace of Raja or the crocodile has yet been found.
Another search started at dawn yesterday (23 Jun),
Raja was the youngest of three brothers.
His father, Kunwar Bahadur Yadav, works in Delhi, India, 430 miles away from where his family lives.
It happened at the Ghaghra River, in the boy’s home village of Sonauli Mohammadpur, located in Belsar Block in Gonda District of Uttar Pradesh State, India.
Officials have speculated that recent rises in the river’s water level may be attracting crocodiles closer to human-populated areas.
The tragic event has sparked renewed concern over wildlife encroachment in rural communities, especially during the monsoon season when water levels surge.
Whilst Raja is still missing, authorities have not given up hope, but locals fear the worst.
Forest officials are urging residents to avoid riverbanks and remain vigilant at all times.
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