Croc menace: Man killed in Champaran

MOTIHARI: One Asharfi

Yadav

was dragged into the Gandak and

killed

by a crocodile on Wednesday afternoon. The incident took place when the 34-year-old was trying to cross the river near Chilbaniya under Bhitaha block of

West Champaran

district.

More than a dozen cowboys sitting on the river bank were witness to the gory killing, but no one could save him. Bhaitaha SHO Abdul Mazid said several villagers later dived into the river, but they failed to trace Asharfi.

According to Chilbaniya mukhia

Girija Devi

, this was the first case of fatal attack by a crocodile in the area although the number of crocodiles in the river has dangerously increased.

She said Asharfi was a grass cutter and had been wading through the river in the morning to cut grass when he was attacked by the crocodile.

According to forest department sources, the Gandak has been identified as the country’s third breeding ground for endangered crocodiles. “The number of crocodiles in the river had been gradually depleting till a couple of years ago. In 2015, six crocodiles brought from the

Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park

in Patna were freed into the river near the

Valmiki Tiger Reserve

, following which the number of crocodiles has increased,” said a source.

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